To Jest for a Jester
by Mowo64
Summary: "A long time ago, I learned that life... is a game..." The secrets of Castle Bleck, strange powers to master, the prophecy heroes to stop, bizarre characters to befriend, and strange feelings for a certain jester-SPM through Mimi's eyes. Updates Fridays.
1. Prolouge

A long time ago, I learned that life… is a game.

Now, in this game, there are pawns.

And there are those who control the pawns.

Those who control, fight one another, in a quest for dominance. It is how they win the game.

Those who are pawns, do the controller's bidding. They help them to gain control of the other pawns, sometimes by controlling the pawns themselves.

When a pawn no longer holds use to a controller, the pawn is destroyed.

Such, is the game of life.

I, like most others, am a pawn.

I am controlled by myself, strange as it seems.

There is a demon, who lives inside my mind. I am her pawn. She takes control of my body whenever she pleases, and I have no control over her.

When she appears, she takes on a monstrous form. She takes away all life and destroys all that is in sight, until there is nothing left. When she is gone, I am left alone, and realize I have done her horrible bidding yet again, and people have died at my hands.

There is nothing but rubble where towering cities once stood.

There are only bloody fragments of the innocent people that thrived here.

The ground is barren and broken apart.

The trees have been torn apart and carelessly thrown aside.

Even the lake is drained of life, turned a dark amber from the spilling of its peoples' blood.

There is no sign of any life for miles and miles. I am wondering if there is any left.

This is where my story begins. I am alone, dressed in shreds of old rags. I sit, crumpled over, in the middle of what was once the greatest city in my world. All that is left is the dust of the ground, and the blood that now mixes with it.

I am weeping for these lost people. I am confused. I am wondering why the demon does this to me. I am wondering why I am her pawn, and why I must kill so many for no reason.

Suddenly, I feel a presence behind me.

Life? Here? I was sure I had destroyed everyone…

I turn slowly to face them, and cannot believe my eyes. On the opposite side of the once-was city, there is a small figure, looking no larger than myself.

He is a jester, dressed in colorful purple and yellow, and accented with a deep black. He has no face, but wears a mask with a painted smile and glowing eyes.

His smile widens, and he floats towards me.

This is his game.

This is my life.

And this… is our story.


	2. Chapter 1

"Hello, child…" The jester said with a melodic voice as he came towards me. When he stopped, he was only a few feet from where I sat.

I turned completely around, to see him better. "H-hello…" I choked out.

"Are you surprised to see me?"

"I… I was sure… there was no one left…"

"Yes, well…" He began to float in circles around me. "I'm not from around here, you see. I come from a different world entirely."

"A… different world?"

The jester nodded, pausing in front of me again.

"What are you doing here?" My world was a remote and desolate place, especially since the demon had come into being.

"I was wandering dimensions…" He said, looking at me with a mischievous smile. "I was searching for power."

"What kind of power? You mean, for yourself?" I had the strength to stand up now. Still, I only came up to his waist while he floated.

"In a way…"

"Did you find any?" He was floating around the area, looking at the destruction.

"Yes, actually. I found a great and monstrous beast. It ravaged a city and killed all of the inhabitants." He paused to pick a sharp, red stone out of the ground. "It spit these out of its mouth. They seemed quite deadly…"

I could hardly believe what I was hearing. "You were… impressed?"

His smile widened. "Very…"

He carelessly tossed the stone aside and continued. "I had never seen a beast quite like that, or with such extraordinary power… So, once the city was obliterated, I stuck around to see what the monster would do next."

The jester turned to face me again. "Imagine my surprise when it cracked its neck and transformed into a little girl…"

I felt blush creep onto my cheeks. "You saw it?"

"Dear girl, I saw _everything_… You seem to quite enjoy your powers…"

"They… aren't mine…"

The jester gave me a funny look, as if he didn't understand what I was saying.

"I'm possessed. There's a demon in my mind. Sometimes I'm in control, and sometimes she is… when she comes out, she looks like…"

"The monster?"

"Yeah…" I hung my head.

"Now, now… I don't think you quite understand…" I felt his cold hands on my shoulders, and looked up at him. "You have a magnificent power, child!"

"I told you. It's not even mine! Sometimes it just… happens…"

His hands slid off of my shoulders. "So, you have no control over it, whatsoever?"

I hesitantly shook my head, afraid of what he would say. For a moment, I thought I saw his smile falter for a brief second. He slowly turned away from me and floated off.

"And here I thought you had real potential…" He said as he left me.

"What?"

The jester simply shrugged his shoulders. "When I saw what great power and destruction you were capable of, I thought you might actually be _worth _something…" He turned to smile pityingly at me. "My mistake…"

"What? No! I _am _worth something! I could be worth everything to you!" I realized the desperation in my voice. I couldn't just let him leave me all alone.

"Right… You _could_, but you are _not_… Like chess pieces seized by the opponent, you might have once held use to me, but no longer do… Ciao…"

"No! Wait!!" But I was too late. With a snap of his fingers, he was gone in a distortion of the air.

"No…" I whispered, dropping down to my knees again. He had thought I was worth something. He had thought this monster that possessed me was a _good _thing.

How could he do that? How could he play games with my already abused mind like that, and then just vanish into thin air?

"How could he do this to me?"

He had been searching for me. Did he not say he had found nothing like me? That I was extraordinary? That I had potential for whatever it was he was doing?

"How could he?"

I was sobbing now. My heart was crushed. Always, I mourned for the poor lost souls that I destroyed, but this time was different. This time _I _was the one who had been hurt.

I had been hurt. I had been crushed. My heart was broken. My eyes flowed over with tears. I could feel my anguish weighing down on my body like a crushing boulder…

"_How could he do this to me?!_" I heard my voice crack, now glazed over with another.

The voice of the demon.

This time, I allowed it to happen. I was so angry, I _wanted _to destroy.

Standing up, I cracked my neck. I heard the straining sound as my body resisted bending that way. Then, it snapped.

My eyes glazed over, and I felt a creepy smile curl its way onto my face. My head, now hanging loosely, spun in circles around my body. Finally, it came to a stop, now completely upside down. My eyes flashed as I slipped in and out of consciousness, alternating between a distorted view of the ruins and the dark void of the demon's lair.

The arms on my body, now handing limply underneath me, split into three different parts, and shot out to form six long, black stilts. My eyes closed. I no longer had use for them.

I saw the long legs of the monster stick into the ground and pull the head upwards, my body now hanging limply in mid-air. The monster ran off, its legs skewering the ground and breaking it apart, searching for life worth taking.

I was now inside the depths of my own mind. The demon stood before me, her dark form only a mere distortion in the darkness. She laughed viciously and turned her cold, empty eyes on me. They were glowing white, with no pupil or iris. She smiled like a jack-o-lantern, with what looked like fire in the back of her mouth.

I smiled and thought of the capital city. The only source of life left in my barren world. The thought echoed around my mind, and the demon seemed confused as she heard it. Then, when she saw my thoughts of the jester, and felt the anger radiate off of me.

She smiled, and understood.

The monster scurried towards the world's final safe-haven, where the remainder of its people had gathered, and tore apart the forest as it went. Giant, red stones were shot from its mouth, the trees bursting into splinters upon impact.

Then, we reached the city. I had never felt like this before. Each drop of blood, each piece of rubble, each lost and dying soul sent chills up my spine. For once, I felt I could see through the demon's eyes. I could feel the sadistic pleasure in the destruction. I felt incredible.

Hour after hour of killing and destroying, the demon's maniacal laugh, and my own building up anger… Never had I felt so… powerful.

Finally, just after sunset, the city was completely gone. All those in hiding had been found out and brutally murdered. Even the forests and gardens had been knocked flat. There was absolutely no life left anywhere in the world other than myself.

As the monster scampered about, still unsatisfied, it suddenly stopped. I was confused; the demon, enraged. The monster tried to continue, tried to move, but found itself unable to carry on.

We were trapped. Someone had set a clear, magical box around us.

"Ah ha ha ha ha…" Something was laughing behind us. The demon was very confused, but I recognized that voice. Suddenly, I felt my spirit in the monster's body, though it didn't register until later that I was controlling it.

I thrashed about, desperate to get out of the box. When I saw that creepy smile painted on that horrible face, I became even more enraged, hurling my stones at him with no effect whatsoever.

At last, I was exhausted. As the stones rebounded off the walls of the box, I struck myself repeatedly. I was too tired to carry on in this form any more.

In a poof of smoke, I was myself again. I was crumpled on the ground, gasping for breath. However, when the box disappeared and he was suddenly in front of me, I somehow found the strength to fling myself at him.

The jester caught my arms and held me away from him as I tried and tried to hit him. I wanted to wipe that stupid smile right off his face. I wanted to hurt him just like he hurt me.

I was crying now, growing weaker and weaker. I stopped thrashing as he pinned my arms to my side and glared up at him through the tears. "Why are you here?!"

His smile widened and he shook his head, laughing at me.

"What?! What's so funny?!"

"Why, _you _are, my dear… Don't you see? I never left…"

"…What?" He had left me. I saw him vanish into thin air.

"No, I've been right here the whole time. I saw you… You turned into that monster of your own will, didn't you?"

I was stunned. It took me a moment to realize what he had asked. "No, that was the demon! I already told you that!"

Rather than replying, he let go of one arm and gently lifted my chin, turning my head side to side. I knew what he was seeing: my face was red with my anger and still stained with tears from my heartbreak.

"It's set off by emotions…" I faintly heard him murmur. He didn't seem to be talking to me anymore, but to himself. His smile widened and he spoke to me again. "How would you like to come with me?"

"Huh? What… what're you talking about?"

"Well, you recall that I was wandering the dimensions searching for a great power, yes?"

I nodded mutely.

"I think I've found it. Upon discovering that you _can _control the monster, with perhaps a little more practice, you have the potential to be a vital key to a certain plan."

"Wha… plan?"

The jester nodded. "Indeed… I'll let you in on a little secret child… all worlds are coming to an end…"

"Really? How do you know?"

"Because, I'm one of the few _causing _the end… You see, I am a minion to an esteemed Count… He has with him a mysterious, dark tome filled with ancient prophecies regarding the end of all worlds. With it, he plans to destroy all."

The end of all worlds? That sounded strange. I never would have considered that the worlds could _end_. "But… why does that have anything to do with me?"

"The prophecies tell of four heroes that will stand in the Count's way. The Count has been searching for powerful minions, much like myself, to aid him in destroying the heroes, so there will be no one to stop him."

"But, why would he destroy the worlds? Then, there won't be anything left…"

"Not necessarily… The Count plans to replace these old, awful worlds full of pain and suffering with perfect, new worlds for him and his minions to thrive in."

"Wow… that sounds… amazing…"

"Yes… So, what do you say? Will you come with me?"

For a moment, I considered what would happen if I did. But, if I went with this mysterious jester, what was my guarantee that he wouldn't abandon me again? That he wouldn't crush me and play games with my mind?

"Let me put it this way…" He said with a playful tone in his voice. "When the worlds end, you can die here, alone… Or, you can come with me now, and _belong _with all of us. You can have a perfect world of your very own, and always have a place to call home."

I considered that. What really put me over the edge, though, is what he said next.

"You know, that demon of yours has run out of things to destroy…" He bent down next to me and whispered now. "How long do you think you have until she grows tired of you?"

"Alright… I'll go with you…" I agreed, reluctant and nervous.

He laughed softly, with a bit of a frightening tone in it. "That's a good girl…"

The jester took my hand. Before he snapped his fingers, I raised a question that, surprisingly, I had only just thought of. "What's your name?"

He smiled the widest he had yet. "I am the master of dimensions and the pleaser of crowds… I am Dimentio, the Charming Magician…"

I smiled. Dimentio was a lovely name.

"And yours, my dear?"

I paused, somewhat ashamed of my simple name. "I'm Mimi… because of the noise the monster makes when it transforms…"

"Interesting…" With that, Dimentio snapped his fingers, and the world distorted around me, bending and twisting.

That was the last I saw of the barren wasteland that was once my home planet, and the last of the life I once knew.


	3. Chapter 2

Looking around at my new surroundings, I found that Dimentio had brought me to the front gates of an enormous castle. The whole thing seemed like a giant shadow, composed completely of some dark, black substance. The castle was floating in the midst of a dark purple sky, sparkling with shifting shadows and something like lightning.

I looked up at Dimentio with a questioning expression. He simply smiled, turned away from me, and floated towards the towering gates at the end of the long path we stood on.

After standing there in a daze for a few moments, I snapped back to the present and scurried after him, my stilt-like legs on the hard ground the only audible sound.

Dimentio opened the gates just enough to get through, and motioned for me to go ahead. I nodded, and hesitantly complied.

The inside of the castle was pretty much the same as the outside: dark, creepy, and mysterious. The only difference was that it seemed much larger inside than it was on the outside.

"Where are we?" I asked Dimentio as he came up behind me.

"Castle Bleck." He replied airily. "Where the Count and his minions thrive… This is to be your new home."

"Really?"

"Of course… would you like to meet the Count?"

I nodded. "Yeah, of course…"

"Alright then… follow me…"

He floated off down the winding corridors. Without him, I was totally lost, so I had no choice but to follow him.

We went on and on through the castle for what seemed like hours, passing this "Count's" collection of the most bizarre creatures I'd ever seen.

"Where is this… Count?"

"Probably in his room, which is where we're headed."

"Is it nearby?"

Dimentio laughed. "Calm yourself, Mimi… Just through here and we'll be there."

"Through where?"

We had arrived at a dead end in a long, narrow hallway, with no doors or windows in sight. What could he be suggesting we go through?

"Okay, where do you think you're going?" A sharp voice came from behind us. Dimentio's smile widened dramatically as he turned around to face the figure.

I turned around as well, wondering who it could be. I hadn't seen a single creature here so far that was intelligent enough to be capable of speech.

A good many feet away from Dimentio and me stood a tall, slender, female figure. Her skin was a deep blue and her hair was a lovely shad of purple. She wore a short, gray skirt with a crisp white shirt, accented with a large, silver pendant. I couldn't see her eyes because of the thick lenses on her cat-eye glasses, but I could tell she didn't look happy to see Dimentio.

Dimentio, on the other hand, was elated.

"Ah, Nastasia! Such a pleasure to see you!" Dimentio floated over to her and took her hand, bowing to kiss it. Nastasia took her hand back and whapped him upside the head with it.

"You never answered my question." Nastasia went on with a dry voice. "What do you think you're doing back here?"

"I'm sorry… am I not free to wander the castle as I--"

"No."

"…Ah. Well, then, I suppose we'd be back here…" Dimentio went on, making up some bizarre excuse as to why he'd be back here, but Nastasia didn't seem to be listening. Instead, she leaned around Dimentio to get a better view of me.

"Uh, Dimentio…" Nastasia grabbed Dimentio's shoulder and turned him around to face me. "Care to explain what that _is_, and what it's doing here?"

"Of course!" Dimentio floated back to me, and pulled me towards Nastasia. "Nastasia, this is Mimi. You recall the Count asked me to find more minions for him?"

"Uh-huh…"

"Well, I found little Mimi here!"

Nastasia looked at Dimentio for a very long time, then shifted her gaze to me and leaned down so we were face-to-face. "Uh, Mimi, has Dimentio finally lost it?"

I looked up at Dimentio. He smiled and shook his head. "No, he seemed perfectly fine."

Nastasia glanced at Dimentio. "What, did you hypnotize her?"

Dimentio opened his mouth to answer, but Nastasia motioned for him to be quiet and spoke to me again. "So, if he hasn't totally lost him mind yet, you must be pretty, uh, special, huh?"

"Well… I don't know about that…"

Nastasia considered that. Then, she adjusted her glasses and stood up. "Dimentio, I think it's time you were on your way."

"Oh, can't I stay and watch the fun?"

Nastasia pointed down the corridor. "Go."

Dimentio sighed. "As you wish…" He said, bowing low. With that, he floated off down the hallway and disappeared.

Nastasia watched him go, and then turned back to me. "As for you, I think the Count is going to want to see this."

Nastasia took my hand and lead me back to the wall at the end of the hallway. For a moment I wondered if she was a crazy as Dimentio, then she reached out a slender hand and placed it on the wall.

I raised an eyebrow, but she didn't look at me. Applying only the most minimal amount of pressure, Nastasia casually pushed the wall aside into the adjacent wall, revealing an extent to the corridor with a long, black door at the end.

I stood there, gaping at the hallway, as Nastasia went on. I scurried after her after a few minutes of standing there like an idiot. I noticed that my feet and her sharp heels made identical clicking sounds in the echoing corridor.

When we reached the door, Nastasia gave a few rapid knocks, but said nothing. A cold voice from inside instructed her to enter. Nastasia opened the door and motioned for me to step through.

The room was dark, in both senses of the word. The room was sparsely decorated, and what little furniture _was _in the room varied in shades of dark blue. The walls, ceiling and floor of the room were a deep black, like the rest of the castle. It was very dimly lit, the only as light coming from the flashes of lightning let in by a large window.

Standing by this window, with his back to us, was a tall figure. His cape was a brilliant white, to match his top hat, and trailed on the ground. As he turned to face us I saw that, like Nastasia, his skin was a deep shade of blue. One eye glowed red like fire, the other was covered by a monocle.

He nodded in acknowledgement to Nastasia and turned to look questioningly at me. "What is this, Nastasia?"

"Apparently, Dimentio found her while wandering dimensions. He says he brought her here because he thought she'd make a 'powerful minion'."

"Really… what could she be good for, wondered Count Bleck?"

I did a double take. Was he narrating himself? That was strange…

"Well, when I asked her what she was capable of, she, uh, didn't say anything…"

Count Bleck looked down at me. "Are you capable of anything, child?"

I nodded. I was hesitant to show him my demonic form, so I held my hands in front of me, and suddenly I held one of the stones the monster shot from its mouth.

The Count and Nastasia looked surprised, and glanced at each other. Nastasia took the gem from me and inspected it.

"I call them Rubees…" I told Count Bleck. "I can throw them really far."

"Uh, Count… It seems a very sturdy material. They're a good weight and have very sharp tips." Nastasia put in. "They'd do considerable damage."

"Interesting, mused Count Bleck…" The Count said, taking the gem from Nastasia. "What else can you do?"

I thought a moment, still not wanting to berserk with the monster and lose all chances, and remembered something I was quite skilled at. I shut my eyes and focused. Then, in a large poof of smoke, I was gone, and Dimentio's form stood before them.

Nastasia and the Count looked very surprised to see me like that. I tried a different one, and became Nastasia. Nastasia smiled. "Wow, that's, uh… interesting…"

Count Bleck walked around me, or rather floated, seeing as how he had no body below the waist. "Very impressive… You're a shape-shifter…"

I nodded. "That's right…"

"What did you say your name was, child?"

"Um… I'm Mimi…" I was almost surprised to hear Nastasia's voice come out of "my" mouth.

"Mimi…" The Count turned to Nastasia. "I think Dimentio just may be on to something here…"

There was crash outside, followed by laughter.

"DIMENTIO!!!" Nastasia shrieked.

"Sorry, sorry! I'm going, really!" Came Dimentio's melodic voice from outside.

Nastasia clicked over to the door and threw it open. Dimentio was nowhere in sight. She slammed the door shut and came back to us. "Sorry 'bout that, Count…"

"It is not your fault, Nastasia…" Count Bleck turned back to me as I returned to my original form. "Is there anything else you have to show Count Bleck."

I shook my head, looking down at my feet. "No, that's all…"

Suddenly, the door flew open, and Dimentio came in.

"I thought I told you to get lost!" Nastasia said, starting for him.

Dimentio held up his hands in defense. "Now, wait a moment Nastasia! I have a bit of information that could be useful!"

"Useful? Ha! When was the last time _you _said anything _useful_?!"

Dimentio's smile got bigger, even though Nastasia had him against the wall. "Ah, you're forgetting that _I _was the one who first discovered this child!"

"Alright, Dimentio, interrupted Count Bleck, what news have you about this child?"

"Mimi's not telling you _all _of her incredible features."

"Really?" Count Bleck seemed surprised. "She said that there was nothing more of interest about her."

Dimentio looked at me, and I shot him a panicked look, begging him not to tell.

He did anyway. "Why, this child can transform into a magnificent beast!"

"What?"

"Yes, of course! She takes on a giant form, like that of a spider, and has amazing strength and abilities!"

"Abilities, inquired Count Bleck? Such as?"

"Specifically, I don't quite recall, you'll have to ask the young maiden. However, I did witness her destroy every living being and object in her home world. She obliterated everything on the planet!"

"Really?" Nastasia said, raising her eyebrows in shock.

The Count turned to me. "Show Count Bleck this beast."

I cowered under his harsh, commanding glare. "I-I can't…"

"You can't?" He cast a look over his shoulder. "Did Dimentio _lie _to Count Bleck?"

"No, not at all!" I said. "But, I can't do it just yet. See, I'm possessed by a demon. When she takes over my mind, _that's _what makes the monster come out. If I try to show you, I'll more than likely kill all three of you…"

Count Bleck looked at me for a very long time. I was afraid of what he would say. I hung my head, afraid I was going to cry.

"Nastasia." He snapped.

"Uh, yes, Count?"

"The next time I see Mimi, I expect her to show me this monster, in full control of it. See to it. Dimentio, you are to assist her in any way she requires."

I looked up at him, but he never looked back. He back at the window, staring off into the distance.

Nastasia took my hand. "Come on, Mimi… we'll start right away, 'k?"

She lead me back out into the corridor, Dimentio following. As the jester closed the section of wall behind us, I wondered when I would see this mysterious Count again, and what he had thought of me.

Did he think I was powerful? That I would be worth anything to him? Did he see me the same way Dimentio had, or had he been as skeptical and disbelieving as Nastasia?

Whatever he _had _thought, I had to make him think again. I became determined to master my powers and take control of the demon and her monster.

I was going to prove myself to the Count, just like I had done with Dimentio. I had to. It was the only way I had any hope for myself.


	4. Chapter 3

"Alright, once more." Nastasia said calmly.

Another deep breath. The inky darkness of closed eyes. Focus. Visualizing that horrible monster…

Nothing. Once again. The stupid monster refused to come out.

Nastasia sighed. "Alright, Mimi… why don't you, uh, rest up a bit?" She scribbled something down on the notepad she held. She'd been writing and writing every time I screwed up. I was very afraid of what she was writing.

I lay down on the floor, too exhausted to even bother with finding a decent resting place. Dimentio floated over and sat cross-legged next to me (though he was still about a foot off the floor).

"Mimi, dear, what's troubling you?" Dimentio said with sympathy though that silly smile. "You seem a tad off today."

Today? I'd been "off" for a week straight! I hadn't seen the Count in all this time, and Nastasia and Dimentio were still trying to find the monster's trigger.

"I can't make the stupid monster come out." I said sulkily.

"Mm, yes, that is a problem." Dimentio said, as if he hadn't been watching failure after failure along with Nastasia. "But, you needn't be so glum about it. Monsters are a rather tricky business."

"No kidding…" I said.

"See, what I've learned is that each monster is set off by a trigger."

"Yeah, Nastasia told me."

Dimentio gave me a stern look. "What did I tell you to call her?"

"Nasty?" I said quietly, afraid she would hear.

Dimentio's smile widened. "That's it. Now, for that trigger. We'll simply have to find what sets your monster off."

"Well, how do we do that?" I asked, sitting up.

"While that's usually a rather tricky problem, in this case it's rather simple. Do you recall what happened when I left you alone?"

"Yeah. The monster came out, but I dunno why."

"Ah, because you were enraged…" Dimentio's smile widened just enough to be creepy.

"Well, what does that have to do with anything?"

"Why, everything, silly Mimi!!" Dimentio threw his hands in the air to emphasize. "When you're upset or angry, _that's _precisely what draws the monster out!! Your rage and confusion makes it that much more powerful!!"

"Oh, so… we just have to make me real mad?"

"Exactly!"

"Well, how are we going to do that? I don't really get mad all that much…"

"Oh…" Dimentio floated away a bit. "Well, you sure seemed to get upset rather quickly the last time…"

"What?!" Against my will, my legs stood me up so I was in his face. "What's that supposed to mean, huh?!"

Dimentio held up his hands defensively. "Oh, nothing, nothing at all… I was merely implying that you had a tad quick temper… that's all…"

"A quick temper?!"

"Yes, but that's quite alright… it's only to be expected of a child of your age…"

"Of 'my age'!? What do you mean by that?!" I spat angrily

"Oh nothing…" Dimentio said melodically. "I only stated the truth: that you are only a child."

My hands clenched into fists. My eyes narrowed into barely-there slits. I felt blush creep into my cheeks as my heart raced and my blood boiled.

"Say that again, stupid head…"

"Stupid head? My, my, what a _childish _thing to say…"

That did it.

I threw my head to the side, instantly numb with the cracking of bones. I saw Dimentio float back a bit and Nastasia come a bit closer as my head spun around and around. My head froze upside-down.

The last thing I saw was Nastasia—horrified, and Dimentio—ecstatic.

My eyes closed. My arms shot out, each dividing into three long stilts. I felt my body being raised high above them.

I awoke in my subconscious. Watching through the monster's "eyes" I saw Dimentio throw up his hands in triumph.

"Brilliant, Mimi, darling!" He said ecstatically. "There, you see, dear Nastasia? Did I not tell you she could take the form of a monster?!"

Nastasia gaped at me. "I… I don't… I can't believe it… Mimi? Is that really you?"

"_Mimimimimimimimimimi"_ The monster murmured.

I gasped. I hadn't told it to do that.

_No, no, no… _I thought frantically. _Not here… not now… I might actually hurt them!_

"Come now, dear Mimi, don't be shy! You're the star of the show!!" Dimentio's voice rang in the monster's head. "Show us what this beast is TRULY capable of!!"

"_Yes, Mimi dear… let's show them, hm?" _

I turned around slowly.

There she was—the demon—in full control of my monster.

"No…" I choked.

It was too late. She opened her mouth to the white fire that blazed inside. Something dark and scarlet condensed inside.

"Mimi?" Dimentio asked.

"NO!!" I shrieked.

Suddenly, the darkness was gone. I heard a loud thud from outside, followed by the screams of Dimentio and Nastasia.

"Mimi, what on earth are you doing?!" Nastasia yelled.

Looking outside, I could see it—a bright red Rubee, right where Dimentio had been floating.

"No!! Leave them alone!!"

The demon only smiled and ignored me, conjuring more Rubees for the monster to shoot from its mouth.

I couldn't do anything. I couldn't stop her, and I couldn't warn the others. I had never felt so pitiful and useless in my entire life. I could only watch in horror as Dimentio and Nastasia were hit again and again by the Rubees and spear-like legs.

"Dimentio!!" Nastasia yelled. "Put a barrier around it!!"

Dimentio poised his fingers to snap. The demon growled—she had seen that trick before and knew what was coming.

Suddenly, a leg stuck through Dimentio's cloak, barely missing his body, and lifting him high overhead.

"NO!!" I shrieked. "DIMENTIO!!!"

Dimentio snapped his fingers. Instantly, the box was around the monster, the demon and I both shrieking in pain.

As the pain died down, I looked outside and gasped aloud.

One of the six legs lay motionless on the ground. Dimentio had ripped it clean off.

It was a strange feeling—this "pain"… I had never felt physical pain before, other than the first few times I had taken the form of the monster, which I had quickly gotten over. But, NO one had ever dared to attack the monster. It was very bizarre.

Also, I noticed something. If I felt pain when the monster was injured…

Perhaps I _was _the monster, after all…

Outside, Dimentio and Nastasia talked quickly on how to return me to myself as the demon caused the monster to thrash about violently. I barely took notice. I was still in complete and utter shock.

_I _was still a monster. After everything I'd done… After all those wasted years… I was _still _a monster…

Suddenly, the monster stopped. I noticed the demon glaring down at the floor. Curiously, I looked out.

Nastasia had approached the monster.

She looked sternly up at us, lowering her glasses to reveal her eyes.

I noticed that she had very… beautiful eyes. They were a deep, dark black, with large pupils. They looked very… inviting… intoxicating, even…

Suddenly, I snapped out of the trance and was practically blown backwards. A bright flash of red light had suddenly flashed from Nastasia's dark eyes, turning her irises red as well.

The demon shrieked behind me. I turned to see her doubled over, clutching her head with claw-like fingers. She was completely consumed by the same red light.

I heard Dimentio's voice. "That's it! You've got her!"

"Are you sure it isn't Mimi?" Nastasia asked, unsure.

"Positive! It's that repulsive demon! I can feel it!"

Suddenly, the light shot out, illuminating my entire mind with bright red. The demon threw her head back, shrieking in agony. I backed away, afraid. I had never seen her like that before. What was wrong with her?

In her final act, she threw her head back upright, glaring at me through her glowing eyes—now turned bright red. She growled, loud and menacing, and threw herself at me, extending her long claws.

Before I knew what was happening, she melted. I blinked a few times to ensure myself that I was not dreaming.

No. I was correct. She had melted. Dissolved right into the ground.

Hesitantly, I crept forward, sticking out a single stilt-like hand. I gingerly felt of the spot where she had disappeared.

She was gone. The demon who had haunted me and controlled me for so long was finally _gone_… I could hardly believe it. It was too good to be true.

"Mimi?" I heard Dimentio's voice from outside, followed by an echoing banging on the box. "Mimi, dear, are you in there?"

I turned to face him, looking up at him in awe.

"Oh dear… I do hope she doesn't try to kill me again… that would be rather tragic, wouldn't it?" A statement such as that would cause anyone else to worry, but his painted smile held firm.

I slowly forced myself to stand up, and surprisingly felt something I'd never felt before.

The monster rose with me…

I raised one hand and watched as a leg rose with it. I moved my head in all directions, and found myself able to look around the room through the monster's "eyes".

I was amazed. I was in complete control of the monster.

I decided to try something.

I opened my mouth and spoke.

"Dimentio? Nastasia? Can you hear me?"

It was my voice, echoing through my mind. But, over my voice, I heard the monster's, matching my words exactly.

Dimentio's smile widened ecstatically. "She's done it! She's in control!!"

Nastasia breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank Grambi…"

Dimentio lowered the barrier, releasing me.

I practiced controlling the monster, scurrying around on my stilts (which was even more difficult, considering I know had only five legs) and shot a few Rubees into the darkness outside the windows (though I got a few stuck in the wall).

Eventually, I managed to return to myself in a poof of orange smoke. Dimentio scooped me up in a hug, absolutely ecstatic over my accomplishment. Over his shoulder I caught Nastasia smiling at me.

I thought about that… I had never seen her smile before… It was very beautiful. It suit her very nicely, and I found myself wondering why she did not smile more often.

I decided, if I was going to stay here, I was going to make Nastasia smile at least once a week.

Suddenly, Dimentio placed me back on the ground. I noticed Nastasia's smile drop as she looked over my head.

I looked up at Dimentio. His smile was still there, but he was obviously unnerved, looking right over me.

I gulped nervously, and slowly turned around. My worst fears were absolutely correct.

At the end of the corridor, his expression unreadable, was Count Bleck himself.

* * *

_"I was still a monster. After everything I'd done... After all the years I'd wasted... I was still a monster..."_

_This, more than likely, will make absolutely no sense at all right now. Fear not, all will be explained in due time..._

_And, no, I don't know how the Count is going to take this little episode. Yes, she got control, but, remember, she tried to kill Dimentio..._

_Sorry I've been away for so long. I hit kind of a rough spot with this chapter. But, updates should pick back up soon._

_Later!_


	5. Chapter 4

"Count Bleck!" Nastasia gasped. "What are you doing here?"

The Count said nothing, slowly approaching us. He seemed to be looking at me with that fire-red eye, as though he could see right through me. No, more like _in _me, like he could see my very soul. Needless to say, it sent chills up my spine.

"What does he want?" I whispered to Dimentio, trembling a bit.

Dimentio whispered to me from the corner of his painted mouth. "I could be mistaken, but I do believe he's come to pass judgment."

"What?" I whispered, turning to him. "Pass judgment… What does that mean?"

"It would appear that the Count has been watching you train without any of our knowledge. He is now going to determine whether you are fit to stay with us or if you must leave…"

I felt my heart drop to my stomach. He was already going to determine my fate? I had only just now gotten control of my monster. I wasn't perfect yet. I couldn't do what he wanted.

He was going to banish me. I was going to wind up all alone all over again…

Nastasia scurried over to the Count, walking beside him as he approached me. "Count, I'm so sorry… I had no idea you were, um, coming… had I known, I would have--"

Count Bleck held up a hand to silence her, ignoring her ramblings completely. Nastasia instantly fell silent. The Count then stopped right in front of me, looking down at my small, stick-like form.

I stared up into his glowing red eye for a moment, then found myself unable to, and suddenly became incredibly interested in the floor. I could still feel his harsh glare burning into me. Again, I felt like I was going to cry, but I didn't dare make myself look so weak before him.

"Nastasia." The Count said sharply. "Your notes, please."

I glanced up under my lashes to see Nastasia nervously hand the notes I had watched her scribble down to him. He glanced over them, flipping through three or four pages. As he did so, I noticed a few of the little scribblings. There were so many of them—had I really screwed up that many times?

The Count did not look up from the notes as he spoke next. "She seems to have made little progress, noted Count Bleck…"

I cringed. That wasn't good.

"Well, actually… with all, um, respect, sir… Mimi has only just managed to, um, show us her… monster. It's the first time she was, uh, capable of doing so."

The Count handed her the notes, looking at me again. My eyes instantly flew to the floor, terrified to make eye-contact with him.

"Dimentio… Count Bleck does not suppose you have any interesting information?"

"As a matter of fact, my dear Count, Mimi should have complete control of her monster now, and she was simply magnificent in doing so! She has such grace and form—what a marvelous creature!! Ah, like the deadly viper, moving with agile, majestic speed towards its prey—"

"Save your similes, Dimentio…" The Count said, waving Dimentio off impatiently. Dimentio obediently floated off to join Nastasia.

The Count was now standing directly over me. I cringed in the shadow of his overbearing form. All was silent for a very long time. Then…

"And you, child? Have you nothing to say on the matter?"

More silence. It took me quite a while to recall the ability to speak coherently.

"Um… m-me?"

"Yes, you. It is your monster, is it not?... inquired Count Bleck."

My tongue was all tied up in knots again. I couldn't even think of an appropriate way to answer him. I was hardly registering the question, my mind still a bit fuzzy.

"Answer Count Bleck." He commanded, his mysterious eye seeming to glow a few shades brighter red.

"Uh… umm…" I stammered, aching to run, yet rooted to the spot. "M-my… mon… monster?"

The Count sighed, sounding exasperated. "How many times must Count Bleck repeat himself? Do you know of your monster or not, child? Answer Count Bleck."

"Oh, yeah, um… my monster… it's, uh…" I stared down at my feet, still trembling under his gaze. I could feel tears welling up in my eyes, blurring my vision. I tried to turn away so the Count wouldn't see me crying, but I had a sinking feeling that I was too late.

The Count sighed, then, much to everyone's surprise, he stooped down so he was kneeling (in a way) in front of me, his expression softened dramatically. His previously fire-red eye now seemed to be a bright orange—it was much more calming this way. He laid his gloved hands on my tiny shoulders, speaking to me very calmly.

"Child… you need not be afraid of Count Bleck… I have no intentions to harm you, and I wish not to frighten you at all."

I nodded miserably, sniffling a bit.

"Will you answer Count Bleck's question now?" He asked me, trying to be very gentle.

Against my better judgment, I shook my head no, a few tears spilling over and running down my face.

"Well… why not?"

"You'll hate me." I murmured.

"Listen, Mimi. Count Bleck will never hate you." The Count gently took my chin between his fingers and lifted my head upwards, so I was looking in his eyes. "Hate is the complete and total absence of love, and I feel very sorry for anyone that has it. I, however, am not one of those people. No matter how upset I am, I will never hate you."

I nodded. "O…okay…"

"Now, if you cannot control this monster—"

"You'll throw me out!" I found myself shouting, crying again. "Then I'll be all alone, just like I was until Dimentio found me!! Until that stupid demon comes back out and kills me! You can't do that to me! I don't want to be alone!"

Before I knew what was happening, I was on my knees before the Count, painfully clutching my sides as I sobbed and choked on my tears, begging him not to send me off to my own death.

Count Bleck wrapped his arms around me in a comforting embrace. "Now, now, Mimi, calm yourself… Is this what you are afraid of? Being alone?"

I nodded my head, burying my face in his cloak. "I don't want to be alone anymore… but whenever I'm around others, bad things keep happening. That stupid demon destroys everything!!"

"Uh… actually…" Nastasia cut in, stepping hesitantly forward. "That shouldn't really be a, um, problem anymore… I've hypnotized Mimi's demon, 'K? Yeah, since it was an essence of her mind, it shouldn't be, uh, bothering her anymore."

I sniffled, looking up at Nastasia. "Re… Really? It's gone?"

"Uh, yeah." Nastasia looked over her notes. "Everything checks out from the last test-drive you did. Things should be, uh, working normally now, k?"

The Count slackened his grip on me and looked me in the eyes. "Well, Mimi, if what Nastasia said is true, you should be able to control the monster."

"Well…" I mumbled. "I guess I _was _kinda doin' it a minute ago, ya know? So, maybe I could do it again… I'm just not used to it yet, is all…"

"If more practice is what you need, that should not be a problem at all." Count Bleck reassured me. "Given more time and practice, do you think you would be able to eventually master this beast, inquired Count Bleck?"

I nodded, looking right up into his eyes with as much bravery as I could muster up. "Yes. I was controlling it just fine a minute ago, and I can do it again, if I wanted to."

The Count smiled at me. "Excellent…" he whispered.

_Golly_, that made my heart flutter. I had never seen a smile like that—not at all like I expected from someone like him. It was warm and sincere; though it seemed… off… as though he hadn't smiled at anything in a very long time.

Count Bleck stood up, turning to his other two minions. My heart dropped as I noticed his smile falling at once. It was like it had never been there at all.

I watched him walk off down the hall, pausing as he passed Dimentio and Nastasia. "Dimentio… would you be so kind as to show Mimi to her new bedroom?"

My heart skipped a few beats, and then soared to the heavens as a beautiful smile spread across my face. He was giving me a bedroom.

Dimentio bowed low to his master, smiling in pleasure. "Of course, my dear Count. I would be honored."

The Count nodded, then glided off down the halls, Nastasia quickly following him with the _click, click, click _of her heels echoing off the walls. Dimentio was standing before me in an instant, spreading his arms wide and beaming a wide, psychotic smile.

"You're in." He stated clearly, something light and musical in his voice.

I smiled, laughing and crying, and threw myself into Dimentio's arms, embracing him in a tight hug. Finally, at long last, I was accepted. I _belonged _somewhere, somewhere I could call home.

I had friends now, and I didn't even have to worry about hurting them anymore. They had helped me tame my monster, and now I could be… strong.

That was it exactly. I was stronger now. Stronger than I had ever been in my life. Maybe I really could do this. Maybe I could help the Count with this plan of his. Maybe I could train my monster up for Nastasia. Maybe I could be best friends with Dimentio.

I smiled, hugging the jester tighter as he whisked me away, down the corridors of Castle Bleck to my new bedroom.

This was my new home… the first one I'd ever had.


	6. Chapter 5

_I've been updating Obsessive Fangirl like crazy, so I figured these guys needed a little lovin'… hope you guys enjoy! Comments are appreciated as always! :)_

* * *

"Alright, we're here! Open your eyes!"

Dimentio's gloved hands slid away from my face, allowing my eyes to flutter open. I gasped aloud at the beautiful scene I saw before me—my bedroom.

The room had already been decorated perfectly. The walls were black, like the rest of the castle, but had lovely hot pink-and-blue stripes swirling through the middle and around the large window that was nearly as large as the wall it was mounted in. Glow-in-the-dark stars were plastered over every inch of my ceiling. As for the furniture, there was a large vanity on one wall, with three floor-length mirrors in the corner beside it, (they were angled in a semi-circle, so I could see myself reflected over and over), and there was a queen-sized canopy bed in the middle, with blue-and-lilac sheets and fluffy pillows, and even red rose petals stuck in the pink canopy.

"Dimentio…" I whispered, trying to take in the beauty of it all. "It's… it's totally _gorgeous_!"

"Of course it is, Mimi, dear…" Dimentio said playfully, laying his hands on my shoulders and gently pushing me inside. "We may not know much about little girls, but we thought this was suitable for your first bedroom…"

I was still smiling as I took a seat on my new bed. The covers sank down underneath me; they were so soft and fluffy. "Oh, yeah… this is my first bedroom, huh?"

"That's correct…" Dimentio sat down beside me, placing an arm around my shoulders. "And it's all yours… your new home…"

I looked around my room again, lingering lovingly on those words… _my new home_…

Dimentio hugged me tight. "It's going to be _wonderful _having you here, Mimi! You and I—we're going to make quite a team, aren't we?"

I looked up at him in awe, unable to believe what I was hearing. "You mean it, Dimentio? Me and you?"

"Ah, yes…" he mused, pulling back to look around the bedroom. "Like Goombas and Stomping, you and I will go hand-in-hand—completely inseparable!"

"Oh, golly! That'd be just great, Dimentio!" I said ecstatically, throwing my arms around his waist. Dimentio's smile widened as he tightened his grip on my shoulders to pull me closer. Suddenly, however, he pulled back, looking thoughtfully down at me.

"What?" I asked timidly. "Is something wrong?"

Dimentio took his hand off my shoulder, then took the hem of my skirt gently in his hand, fingering it thoughtfully. I felt red-hot blush flood my cheeks. I had forgotten that I was still wearing just shreds of some old rags. As violent and reckless as the demon had been, that was all I had ever found suitable to put on. Looking at Dimentio's colorful garments, and thinking back to Nastasia's lovely business attire and the Count's dramatic cloak and top hat, I was suddenly very ashamed of my humble outfit, if I could even call it that.

"I'm sorry…" I mumbled sheepishly, looking away so I wouldn't have to face Dimentio.

"Sorry? Whatever for, dearest?" Dimentio asked innocently, though I could still feel him running his hands over the worn, frayed fabric.

"My dress is horrible… it's not even a real dress…" I murmured pitifully. "I wish I had pretty things, like Nastasia does…"

"Nastasia? Ah ha ha ha ha…" Dimentio laughed airily, standing up and floating away. "Oh, please… that woman is so up-tight… someone with _your _tastes deserves something more… _flamboyant_!" Dimentio twirled around in mid-air, flaunting the extravagant colors of his cloak.

I giggled, in spite of myself, watching Dimentio as he caught sight of his reflection in the mirror, and looked adoringly over himself. After a few moments, the jester turned his attention back to me, floating over and taking my hands in his, kneeling down in front of me so we were face-to-face.

"Now then…" he said, looking somewhat serious, but still smiling ridiculously. "About your outfit…"

I blushed again, looking down at my feet to avoid that pitying look he was giving me. "Please don't make fun of me…" I begged miserably. "I know you think it's stupid, but…"

"Mimi, dear…" Dimentio cooed softly, laying a hand gently on the side of my face. "You needn't be so hard on yourself… I think your little dress is lovely—especially for something you made yourself… And, besides, the dress doesn't matter. You'd look lovely in anything you wear…"

I smiled happily, though at the same time I got the weird feeling that I was going to cry again. I bit my lip to stop the tears, throwing my arms around the jester's neck so he wouldn't see when they fell anyway. "Aw, golly… thanks, Dimentio… that's totally sweet of you…"

Dimentio hugged me back, and I could almost feel his smile widen incredibly. "Not a problem at all, Mimi…"

I looked back down at my feet when he pulled away, trying to wipe away the tears before he could see them. Dimentio stood up as I rubbed my stick-hands over my eyes. He wandered over to the wall not occupied by the window, bed, vanity mirrors, or door, and placed a hand lightly on it, his black glove almost vanishing into the wall.

"Mimi…" He said sweetly, turning to smile at me. "Would you come here for a moment?"

I nodded, instantly jumping off the bed to scurry over to him.

"Alright then…" He continued when I was standing beside him. "The Count has asked me to give you this gift from him…"

"What?" I asked, astonished. "Oh, no, no, no! I couldn't take anything else from the Count! He's already given me so much!"

Dimentio laughed again. "Nonsense, Mimi, Count Bleck _wants _to give you these things… as his minion, he only wants to make us happy… a means of thanks for our services to him…"

"But, I haven't even done anything yet…" I murmured pitifully.

"I know, dear…" Dimentio said, his smile taking on an empathetic look. "But, you will be of great help to the Count in the very near future, so he wishes to be of some service to you at the present…"

"Really? Well, golly, that's awfully sweet of him…" I said in disbelief, playing with my fragile pigtails.

Dimentio smiled down at me. "You think that's sweet? Just wait until you see the surprise… close your eyes."

I obediently shut my eyes tight, laying my hands over my eyelids so I wouldn't be tempted to look. I heard the wall slide open as it had with the entrance to the Count's room, and in the identical passage up here leading to mine, so I knew Dimentio had opened a secret room of some sort. Suddenly, I felt his hands on my back, gently pushing me forward. I hesitantly stepped forward, though I wasn't exactly sure where I was going. I felt the shaggy pink carpet that covered my floor disappear as my feet touched cold marble—I noted that I must have entered the other room.

Dimentio removed his hands from my back, then gently took hold of my arms, puling them away from my face. "Alright, dearest… you can look now."

I slid my eyes open, looking around me in bewilderment. Even though I didn't quite know what to expect, when my eyes were finally open, I was struck completely dumbfounded, unable to believe what I was seeing.

I was standing inside an enormous walk-in closet. The black walls were lined with clothing racks, three of them, one on top of the other, displaying beautiful dresses and outfits all the way around the room. There were all sorts of different dresses—gowns, nightshirts, costumes, everyday outfits, and all sorts of other things. And everything in here was exactly my size.

"Oh my Grambi…" I whispered, staring at the lovely dresses. "Dimentio… these are beautiful!"

"Of course!" Dimentio said, throwing his arms around my shoulders. "Like I told you—you needn't worry about your dresses anymore."

I spun around, hugging him tightly. "Oh, this is wonderful! I can't believe this is happening! Everything is so beautiful!"

"Well, what are you waiting for, dear?" Dimentio pulled back, throwing his arms up to gesture all around us. "Go ahead! Pick one that strikes your fancy and try it on!"

I smiled ecstatically, then wasted no time in scurrying around the room, shuffling through each of the dresses. They were all so lovely, how could I ever choose just one? I would have to change to a new one at least five times a day if I was ever going to get through them all.

Finally, I pulled one particular dress off the rack that had caught my eye. It was a lovely sun-dress with a very frilly skirt (as most of them had). It was a light shade of blue, with white triangles lined up across the bottom of the skirt, stretching all the way up to the thick, orange ribbon around the waist. I scurried back over to Dimentio, showing him my prize.

He smiled, nodding in approval. "That's a lovely one, Mimi…" he said, sounding as though he were talking to a very small child. "Why don't you try it on?"

I paused a moment, blushing and looking down at my feet.

Dimentio keyed in on my embarrassment, smiling wider, as though enjoying it. "Well? Are you a shapeshifter or are you not?" he suggested, winking at me. "Try it on."

I looked down at the dress in my hands, trying to work how to accomplish whatever it was he was implying. Finally, I shut my eyes and twirled around, still holding the dress.

Immediately, the rags vanished, and I felt cool cotton against my skin, the ruffles of the skirt brushing against my legs and the belt tightening around my waist. I stopped spinning, looking down at myself. I was indeed wearing the new dress, my old rags now lying limply on the hanger which previously held the sundress.

I smiled at my accomplishment, feeling an odd surge of ecstatic pride in wearing a new dress. I looked up at Dimentio, painfully longing for his approval.

He smiled at me again, but somehow… this was different. It reminded me of seeing the Count and Nastasia smile for the first time. It wasn't tricky, amused, or mischievous. This smile was very sweet and sincere, the devious gleam in his eyes dulling to a soft glow of adoration. "You look beautiful, Mimi…" he said softly.

I smiled, giggling a bit and playing with my skirt, forgetting the old dress entirely. "Golly, thanks, Dimentio…"

He snapped out of the daze he appeared to be in, trying to look somewhere else in the room, eventually giving up and wandering out into the bedroom. "Come on, Mimi, dear… what do you say we go show the Count and Nastasia your new outfit? I'm sure they would love to see you in it…"

"Okay! That sounds totally great!" I said, bouncing out after him. I twirled around again, trying to catch his attention, but Dimentio seemed intently focused on closing the door to my closet. Either that or he was doing a very good job of ignoring me. I decided it didn't really matter either way, so I ignored him ignoring me and went ahead to the door to my room, already too anxious to go see Count Bleck again.

"Wait a moment, dear!" Dimentio called. I stopped with my hands on the doorknob, turning around to face him. He floated over to the vanity, motioning with his finger for me to follow him, which I did.

After bouncing over to him (and noting gleefully how my new skirt bounced with me), he sat down in the chair, and offered me a hand. I took it, gasping in surprise when he pulled me up into his lap, wrapping his arms snugly around me.

"Now, since you loved Nastasia's decorating skills and the dresses the Count ordered for you… why don't I give you _my _gift?"

I smiled, giggling sweetly. "Aw, Dimentio… you don't gotta give me anything…"

"If it's all the same to you, I'd really like to…" He said sweetly, smiling down at me.

"Well… alright… but, then, no more presents! I don't have anything to give you!" I complained.

Dimentio laughed. "Alright, but first, let me give you this…"

As he said it, Dimentio pulled open the drawer in the center of the vanity, just over the little cubby the chair slid under. It was a shallow drawer, and the only thing in it was a small book covered in something pink and furry. There were little hearts all over it, and a rainbow going down the spine. On the front cover, in big, pink, cursive letters, it said _"MIMI"_.

I carefully took the book from Dimentio, turning it over and over, then flipping through the pages, which were all completely blank. "What is it?" I asked.

"It's a diary, silly…" Dimentio laughed as he spoke. "All the normal little girls have one, and I think you should too…"

I looked at the pages again. "There's nothing in it."

"Well, of course not. You write in it yourself…" Dimentio sounded like he was talking to a child again.

"Well… what do I write?"

"Anything you like." He said, hugging me tight again. "Any wonderful thought that pops into that lovely little head of yours… you fill it up with everything that's important to you."

"Things that are important to me?" I repeated.

Dimentio nodded. "That's right."

I nodded, turning around to lay the book on the vanity. I opened it to the inside of the front cover, grabbed one of the sparkly pens that was lying there, popping the cap off and holding it near the page. "How do you spell your name?"

Dimentio smiled sweetly. "Not that kind of thing, Mimi…"

"Well, you're important to me. I want your name in my diary…" I said, matter-of-factly.

Dimentio smiled again, tightening his grip on me. "D-I-M-E-N-T-I-O" he spelled out loud.

I thought about it carefully, then felt my face get all hot again with embarrassment. "I don't know how to write that." I quietly admitted.

Dimentio simply took my hand in his, gripping the pen and my hand at the same time. He made me touch the pen to the paper lining the inside of the front cover, and wrote in sparkly, print letters _"DIMENTIO"._

I smiled. His name was even lovelier when I saw it written than when he said it in his beautiful, melodic voice. "I still think that's the most beautiful name I've ever heard."

"I'm glad you think so…" He said, sounding almost amused. He closed the book, taking the pen from me and lying it back down. "Alright, then, you can worry about that later… we'll get Nastasia to teach you to read and write, okay?"

I nodded. "That sounds great! I'd love to!"

"Excellent!" Dimentio beamed, picking me up and setting me back on the ground. He stood up himself, floating off towards the door. "Now, let's go show off that dress of yours… what do you say?"

I nodded ecstatically, scurrying after him. As he pulled my door shut behind us, I grabbed his hand, pulling him along as I ran down the hallways, listening to the clicking of my feet rebounding off the walls of the hallway. I could hardly wait to see Nastasia and the Count again. I couldn't wait to do anything—there was just so much to do.

I felt like I really belonged here now. I had a home, a place to sleep safely, friends and a family. I looked like a princess in my wonderful new dresses, and Nastasia was going to teach me to read and write like all the normal little girls.

And, best of all, my demon was now lost forever to the very depths of my mind. I highly doubted I would ever see her again. I was now in control of my monster, my mind, and _my _life.

I, Mimi, was now _nobody's _pawn… and I never would be again…


	7. Mimi's Diary

_Dear Diary_

_Okay, that sounds kind of… weird… I don't know how I'm supossed to do this, really…_

_-write down anything that's importent to you_

_-start with "Dear Diary" _

_-there's no rules you just write_

_That's what Dimentio said to do with this. I don't know what any of that even means. It all seems kind of weird to me… but, Dimentio said this is what normal little girls do, and I really really REALLY want to be normal, too. So, I guess I could try it._

_Okay, let's see…So, you're my new Diary… but, I guess you already knew that, huh?_

_  
This is stupid. Am I, like, supossed to talk to you or something? Who talks to books? Nobody, that's who! Maybe Dimentio's just messing with me… Oh, gollie (NOTE: ask Nassy how to spell that!), I really hope he doesn't make fun of me!_

…

_Oh, wait… I guess that was what I was supossed to talk about, huh? Maybe this is what Dimentio meant for me to do… _

_Okay, so let's see… I guess I'm just write down stuff like that… Dimentio did say I just did whatever popped into my head. I really like his name. Dime~~ Dim~~~D--~'_

_I can't write it pretty like he can… I really wish I could. Maybe I could get Din~~mentio to show me how to write his name all (ask Nassy what the pretty handwriting word was again) like he does._

_Alright, Diary… what can I tell you about? Uh……___- - - - ~ ~ ~ # Sorry, I got distracted. Oh, no, now there's all these ugly scribbles on the page! I hope nobody sees this._

_Oh, there all going to think I'm (NOTE: ~~~~~~ Nevermind I got it) stupid! _

_Wait, I know! I'm going to hide you in my room, okay? Then no one can find you! And they wonn't see my messy scribles and writing and Dim~~~ won't laugh at me. Perfect! I just put you under my pillows! (You'll like it there, Diary… They r very soft an fluffy)_

_Okay… now that we have that figured out… I guess I can just tell you about what's been happening lately._

_Well… I've been living at Castle Bleck for almost a month now (Nassy told me that) and there's been lots hapening. I don't see the Count much, I guess he's all busy planning for the end of all worlds an st~~ things. (Nassy says "stuff" is not proper grammar. Yeah, like I know what that means)_

_Well, me and Dim~~~~ have been hanging out a lot. We just walk around the castle and talk about all kinds of things. I love talking to Di~~ him. He's always so sweet to me, and he's really funny, too._

_  
Dimen~~~ (I almost had it!) has been helping me train my monster. I think I'm getting lots better at it, an Nassy was right about the demon, I think shes really gone! I don't see her at all anymore! And I can make the monster come out all by myself now! I've been learning lots of new tricks with it—I found out the monster can walk on the cieling, but I don't do two good with that yet._

_Nassy's been teachin me how to write, too. I'm not good at speling yet, but it's okay, cuz she says "We'll work on that, 'K?" Quotes r funny, I like writing them. """""""" Look what I can write, Diary._

_COUNT BLE~~ BLECK_

_NAS~~ NASTA~~SI NASTASIA_

_DIM~~ DIMEN~~~~~ D~~~~~_

_MIMI (that's my name, by the way)_

_I'm gettin beter at writing, I think. I can write lots of things. I can write PIXL and FLIP and DIMENSION (Dim~~~ taught me how to spell that) and RUBEES and DRESSES and lots of other things. I hope I can get beter at writing real soon. I told Nassy I want to have pretty (what's that word?) like Dime~~~ does. She has pretty ~~~~ (darn, I thought I knew it) too, almost as pretty as his. I haven't seen the Count write anything. I wish I could. I bet he would have the best_

_DIMENTIO_

_Oh my Grambi Dim~~ just wrote in my Diary! He read it over my shoulder (gollie I'm so embarsed, I didn't even know he wasthere!) and he saw me try to write his name, so he took my Diary and he wrote it for me! Isn't he sweet?_

_I wonder if he'd teach me to write like this. I hope so. _

_Okay, I just yelled at him, and he's waiting for me! I'm going to go see if he'll teach me! I'll write all about it later!_

_I don't think you'd know how to end this, huh?_

_Okay, Dim~~ told me. He's so sweet. So, I gues I'll just see ya later, huh? I'll write all about everything later, okay? _

_~Mimi_

* * *

Okay, the way this works in my head. To break up the monotony of the story, there's going to be random chapters that are not from the story, but an entry from Mimi's Diary. They DO chronologically (spellcheck?) fit into the story, so they're not just an excuse to avoid writing.

So, yes, here it be. I'm terribly sorry if you can't read it. It is not very easy at all to TYPE a 12-year-old's handwriting. (or however old she is...)

And if you can't tell, whenever you see something like ~~~ or ~~ it means Mimi tried to scribble something out. (the spelling and grammar is going to get a lot better very quickly, I promise. Nassy's a good teacher)

So, yes, here it be! Hope you all enjoy Mimi's adorableness! Please don't kill me for the retartedness (this might not even work, truth be told)

The next CHAPTER chapter should be up soon, so hopefully you guys won't have to wait very long...


	8. Chapter 7

Stripes are very beautiful, I have recently decided. Especially on dresses. Especially on dresses _on me._

I twirled around in front of my mirrors, letting the frilly skirt fly up all around me. It makes the thick, slanted, blue-and-purple stripes twist around like they're spiraling upwards. The trails hanging off the end of the ribbon around my waist tickle my legs as they brush against me.

I stopped twirling and looked over myself in the mirror. Stepping forwards, I placed my thin, black hands on the glass, staring lovingly at my reflection. My eyes sparkled with delight at the sight of myself, thick eye-make-up making my lids droop to a seductive pose. My cheeks wore new make-up too, forever tinged with just a hint of pink blush.

I smiled. I looked beautiful.

Such a change that had come over me, I noticed as I skipped over to the vanity. I was much more different now, both mentally and physically. I was building myself up here in Castle Bleck, getting stronger and stronger. Suddenly, I felt like a normal little girl.

I pushed my writing papers aside, each one covered in my handwriting. I didn't have fancy script-style writing like Nastasia or Dimentio yet, but it was getting better. Right now, it stood at a messy-but-cute cursive. Dimentio told me most normal little girls dotted their i's with hearts, so I did that a lot. I picked up a page as I uncovered it. Careful, deliberate, fancy-as-I-could-possibly-manage letters curled into the same words over and over.

_Master of Dimensions… Pleaser of Crowds… Dimentio… The Charming Magician…_

I smiled fondly at his name, and the many titles that silly jester had bestowed upon himself. He was amazing, that Dimentio. I could list off a thousand and one reasons why.

I laid the paper back down, gently on top of the others (it was my favorite anyway), and grabbed the small chest seated on the table. Opening it up, I quickly turned it upside-down and dumped the contents onto the table. Jewels, ribbons, trinkets, and decorations of all sorts spilled out before me.

I rooted through the pile for a minute, then picked up a nice purple ribbon. I looked around some more, but there didn't seem to be another one like it, so I just grabbed a sparkly pen, made a note on one of the papers to ask Nastasia for a new one, and started looking through the other ribbons. After finding a few pretty blues, and holding each one up against my dress, I found one that matched the fabric and skipped back over to the mirror.

Leaning in close to the mirror for a better view, I took the purple ribbon, stuck it carefully into the spot where my fragile little pigtails connected with the back of my head. Once it was in place, I gently tied it into a bow, smiling as I admired my work. Then, I repeated the same process with the blue ribbon.

I smiled again. I looked perfect. I _was _perfect.

"Mimi!" A voice suddenly yelled from behind me. I shrieked, spinning around and jumping backwards, nearly knocking my mirrors over.

I looked around for a few minutes, almost scared, until I noticed the jester perched in my windowsill, smiling like crazy, obviously delighted at my surprise. I, however, wasn't quite so thrilled to see him.

"Dimentio! You dummy!" I shrieked. "Dummy" was a word I had picked up on recently, and I rather liked using it. "What are you doing in my room?!"

"Oh, I thought you _liked _it when I popped in…" Dimentio airily replied, casually floating his way into my room. "Don't you like it when I visit you?"

I felt blush turn my cheeks a few shades darker pink. "Well… ye—no! I don't! Not when you sneak up on me like that!"

"But, I _like_ surprising you…" Dimentio said, floating right in front of me now. "You look so cute when you're surprised…"

The jester leaned forward, reached out a gloved hand, and gently caressed my cheek. "You really are very lovely…" He cooed softly, his voice hardly a whisper.

I was breathing a little unsteady now, my black eyes locked with his. I used to make fun of his mismatched eyes, saying how weird and creepy that was, but I had recently decided that I loved them. I loved the way they sparkled when he looked at me. I loved the way his lips curved into that perfect smile. I loved—

I slapped him. _Hard_.

"Get away from me, stupid-head!" I shrieked. I bit my lower lip as soon as it was out of my mouth. I didn't mean that.

He knew I didn't mean it. His head still turned to the side, his eyes still gently closed, he just laughed his musical laughter. His eyelids slowly fluttered open, and he turned his yellow-and-black-eyes back to me. "You're lucky you've caught me in a good mood… but, for future reference…"

Dimentio was suddenly very close to me. I was backed up against the mirrors, and the nose of his mask was only about an inch from mine. He placed his hands on the mirror on either side of me, and stared deep into my eyes. That soft, loving glow was gone now. Now, he just looked… scary.

"That was a very grave mistake you just made, girl…" He whispered to me. His voice was very cold, like poison. Not musical at all. "I wouldn't suggest you try attacking me again…" Dimentio picked a gloved hand up off the mirror and gently stroked the side of my face again. "I may not be so merciful with you next time…" he purred.

I was breathing all funny again. It was that look in his eyes, so much evil and hatred; like he really wanted to hurt me. I couldn't stand it anymore, so I just closed my eyes, turned my head as far away from him as I could, and pitifully whimpered, "Please, leave me alone…"

That was it. That was all he wanted; submission. His smile widened, twisting his features. Then, suddenly, he was floating again, wandering around my room and poking through my things like he did every day, as though nothing was wrong at all. I opened my eyes slowly, and saw him at my vanity, shuffling through my hair decorations to the papers underneath. His smile widened, and he picked up a single paper, covered in purple writing. My eyes widened in fear.

"No! Dimentio, don't look at that!" I yelled, running over to him.

Dimentio simply held out a hand, catching me by the top of my head and holding me away from him as I tried desperately to grab the paper. He kept reading and reading, trailing his eyes over every delicate curve of the lettering I had worked so hard to shape.

"Dimentio, I mean it! Stop that!" I begged him, blushing now. Blushing with rage or embarrassment or perhaps something else, I wasn't at all sure.

"What's the magic word?" Dimentio asked airily. He didn't even stop long enough to look at me.

"Please!" I yelled, trying to grab the paper again.

"Mm… not quite…" He said in a sing-songy voice. "According to you, the 'magic word' is…"

"_Please_!" I repeated. That was the only magic word I knew. Nastasia had told me that (she treats me like such a baby sometimes) and I had no idea what else he could mean.

"Nope." Dimentio cast me a glance over his shoulder, his eyes twinkling with mischief. His smile widened when he saw how frantically I was struggling. "Try again."

"I don't know any stupid magic words!" I screamed. "You're the magician here, not me!!"

"Here, I'll give you a hint…" Dimentio said, grinning like mad. He turned to face me, leaning in close again as I fell limp. He whispered to me, getting his face close to mine. "The magic word goes like this… _L…O…V…E…_"

My eyes went wide with shock. Dimentio just kept smiling at me. I really don't think he could have smiled any wider without snapping his mask in half.

"Love…" I whispered, my voice hardly audible.

To my surprise, Dimentio _did_ somehow find it possible to smile even wider. "Good…" He whispered to me, his voice low and… seductive. "Now, say it."

"Lo-Love?" I squeaked out, trembling a little. I knew where he had gotten that from. The only thing on that page that wasn't writing: a small little doodle I had drawn at the bottom of the page while Nastasia lectured me on something my monster had accidentally smashed.

Maybe he didn't notice it. Maybe he was just messing with me. That's possible… right?

"Say _all _of it." He whispered, leaning in a little closer. "Go on… say it… _Mimikins…_"

Nope. Not possible. My life is crap. End of story.

"I… I lo… love…" I started to choke out. Dimentio's smile got even wider, his eyes lighting up dramatically.

I couldn't do it. I bowed my head to the floor, feeling wet tears welling up in my eyes. "Can I please have the dumb paper, Dimentio?"

"Only if you say it…" He said, all sing-songy again.

"Just give me the dumb paper, meanie-head!" I shrieked, then reached out and grabbed the paper, ripping it out of his hands. I hardly noticed the loud noise it made when the paper tore into pieces. Dimentio still held the corner with my doodle on it, and all the words I had worked so hard on to make his name as beautiful as it was…

It was torn to pieces. There was a large piece in each of my hands, but the rest of it littered the ground around my feet. Just laying there, like beautiful scraps of trash.

_Stupid confetti…_ I thought to myself, feeling the tears welling up again.

"Mimi, I—" Dimentio started.

"Just get out…" I said flatly. "I don't wanna talk to you anymore…"

I dropped the papers right there, turning back to the mirror. I was pretending to ignore Dimentio, but I could hardly see my reflection for all the tears.

"Alright, Mimi… I'll leave you alone…" Dimentio said. His voice sounded… almost sad… broken… like he was _actually _sorry.

"Good." I snapped, my voice as cold as my heart.

I heard Dimentio sigh heavily. "Well, then… I suppose I'll just be leaving…"

I said nothing. Out of the corner of my eyes I could see him in the mirror, slowly drifting towards the door.

"I won't even talk to you the rest of the day… alright?" He asked, one hand on the doorknob.

Again, I refused to answer him. I knew my silence would be worse than any insult I could punish him with.

"Well, then…" Dimentio slowly opened the door, smiling a bit. "I guess you'll just have to wait to find out about the new minion."

I froze, my eyes widening in shock. I whipped around to face him. "What? New minion? What do you mean?"

Dimentio shook his head, still smiling like crazy. "Oh, no, no, no… you don't want to talk to me anymore, remember?"

"Dimentio, you dummy!" I yelled, stomping my foot on the ground. "You'd better tell me right now!"

Dimentio grinned as wide as he could, narrowing his eyes as they gleamed mischievously. "You'll have to _catch _me first…" he whispered.

Then, just like that, he was gone.

"DIMENTIO!!" I shrieked, running outside, quick as I could.

I ran down the corridor that lead to my room, threw open the wall extension, and ran off again, not even bothering to close it back. I could see Dimentio floating down the twisting halls, and I kept on chasing him.

Of course, he could teleport. He could trap me in a box. With the snap of his fingers, he could do anything he liked. But, he didn't. _This _was what he liked: to make me mad, to make me chase him, to make me want to _hurt _him…

Only to finally catch him… and discover that I _couldn't_.

So, I just kept running after him. Chasing him down corridor after corridor, up and down the staircases and platforms, dodging all the bizarre creatures that dwelled here, the chase went on and on.

"Dimentio!!" I shrieked. "Come back here right now, dummy!"

Dimentio said nothing. He just laughed that beautiful, musical laughter at me, floating faster ahead of me.

Suddenly, he rounded a corner. I followed him, to find the stupid jester waiting for me, way at the other end of the long corridor. He was just floating there, smiling like crazy.

"Come on then…" He taunted, smiling wider. "Catch me… _Mimikins_…"

I blushed with rage, running towards him again. "I'll kill you, you stupid-head!"

Dimentio just smiled wider. "Would you really?"

"Yes, I would!" I came to a stop a few feet from him, afraid he was going to vanish around the corner again and I would lose him.

"Hm, I see…" Dimentio said airily, not looking like he cared very much. He suddenly cast a glance over his shoulder, then looked right back at me.

"What are you looking at?" I demanded.

"Oh, nothing. Nothing at all…" He replied, casually shrugging his shoulders.

"You were TOO looking at something! Now, what is it?!" I shrieked, stomping my foot.

"Yes, well, I _would _be _delighted _to tell you…" He looked over his shoulder again, at something around the corner. "But, I've been ordered not to speak to you."

"Well, now I'm _un_-ordering you! Tell me what's going on!"

Dimentio finally looked back at me, smiling like crazy, and raised a single gloved hand. With it, he waved at me as my eyes widened in fear. "Ciao, _Mimikins_…"

"No! Dimentio!" I ran forward, trying to catch him, but I was too late. He snapped his fingers, the air distorted around him, and the charming magician was gone.

I, however, was a split-second too late to react, and wound up crashing into the floor right behind the spot where he was standing, just past the corner.

Except I had not fallen forwards.

I blinked, utterly stunned.

Did I hit a wall? No… The corner of the corridor was right there beside me. There couldn't be another wall so close.

Then, what was I leaned up against? What had stopped my fall?

Nope. Definitely wasn't a wall, I decided.

It was alive.

It was the new minion.


	9. Chapter 8

_Hello everyone! I know, I know, it's been forever, right? Don't worry, I'm starting to get things sorted out. I promise, once we hit a certain point in the story, things will run much smoother… and faster! Everyone likes faster, right?!_

_Okay, before we dive in the chapter, I really wanna send a big "thank you" to WoozyCat11 for the AWESOME review. I think that's the best comment on anything I've ever written. Often when writing this, I would get stuck. So, I'd go back and re-read that comment a few times, and just keep on writing. So everyone go shower Woozy with some love! This chapter wouldn't have happened without her!! And yes, I think my life span increased my several minutes. :)_

_And, without and further ramblings, enjoy the chapter…_

I slowly lifted my head up to look at this new minion. The first thing that I noticed was I had to turn my head to nearly a ninety-degree angle to see him fully—_not _a good sign. The second thing I noticed was that he was clothed in all-black, and on top of that, he was _huge,_ which is probably why I mistook him for a wall.

Despite his _ridiculous _muscular build, he had a very kind face. It was square-ish shaped, and off-white pale to match the skin of his exposed (again, _ridiculous_) arms. He smiled a large, lopsided, toothy grin at me through his scruffy red beard covering half his face.

"Oy, careful dere, Lass… Are yeh a'right?" He asked, his voice very loud and gruff.

"…omygosh…" I said after a moment, my eyes going wide in fear.

Much to my relief, Count Bleck stepped out from behind the new minion to see me. "Ah, Mimi… Impeccable timing as always…"

I blushed when he said that. I had recently become known to interrupt things at the most inconvenient of times. In my defense—it's usually Dimentio's fault. The Count and Nastasia just never seem to catch him.

Count Bleck came over to me, placed a gloved hand on my shoulder, and gently pulled me away from the minion, who I was still staring at with wide, scared eyes.

"Ay…" The minion said, scratching the back of his head. "I didn't 'urt her, did I?"

"No, of course not…" Count Bleck assured him. "This is Mimi, another minion of Count Bleck. She is a bit… _off _at times." Count Bleck then looked down at me and gestured to the large minion. "Mimi, this is the most recent addition to Count Bleck's army, O'Chunks."

"O… O'Chunks?" I repeated, the fear in my eyes disappearing to be replaced with confusion. It was a very odd name that he had.

"Ay, 'at's me name!" O'Chunks said, smiling and thumping his chest proudly.

"Oh, okay…" I said. I smiled a little bit, trying to be polite. This was the first time I had met someone besides the others, and I wanted to look like I was totally normal. "I'm Mimi… I've been living here for a moth now."

"Month, Mimi… Count Bleck corrected."

I blushed with embarrassment. "Oh, yeah…"

"Well, it's great ta meet yeh, miss Mimi!" O'Chunks said, offering me a large hand. I had to think a moment about what Dimentio had taught me, then I lightly placed my tiny stick-like hand in his. My body jerked slightly when he shook my hand, but I didn't care—at least I had done something right.

"Now, Mimi…" Count Bleck interrupted us. I gulped—he didn't sound too happy. "Count Bleck wonders… what are you doing running through the halls and crashing into people?"

"It was Dimentio's fault!!" I shrieked, spinning around on my heels to face him. "That meanie-head snuck in my room and scared me! Then he found my writing stuff and started makin' fun of me! THEN he wouldn't tell me about the new minion, so I got mad and started chasing him!"

Count Bleck just stared at me for a while, still not looking too awful happy. I wondered for a moment what he was thinking, and if he believed me or not. Then, I blushed with embarrassment when I realized what he was staring at me for.

"…that was real loud… huh?" I asked quietly.

Count Bleck nodded, floating back over towards O'Chunks. "Do try to keep a level temper about yourself, Mimi…"

"Sorry, Count…" I murmured, looking down at my feet.

Suddenly, there was a light sound, like the swishing of air.

"Ah, hello again, fellow minion of Bleck! Fancy running into you again!" A melodic voice said—a melodic voice that I would know anywhere, and one that was quickly becoming rather annoying.

My head snapped up, and sure enough, there floated Dimentio, right beside the Count and O'Chunks, smiling away like nothing was wrong at all.

"Dimentio, what are you doing back down here, inquired Count Bleck."

"Forgive me for intruding, my dear Count…" Dimentio said sweetly, floating backwards a bit towards me. "But, I was simply searching for my little Mimi… and here I have found her at last!"

Dimentio turned around to face me, smiling evilly with a mischievous gleam in his eyes. "Mimi, darling, where have you been all morning? I've been searching the entire castle for you!"

I felt rage turn my cheeks bright red. "You knew exactly where I was! I've been chasing you around all morning, you big dummy!"

Dimentio pretended to be very confused. "Mimi, dear, what in all the dimensions are you talking about?"

"Don't play stupid with me, stupid!!" Hey, I was getting better at insults… "You snuck into my room, found that dumb doodle, and you were teasing me about it!! Then, you made me chase you around so I'd crash into O'Chunks!!"

The jester covered his mouth, gasping in mock surprise. "Mimi! Are you suggesting I would be so cold-hearted that I would trick you into making a fool of yourself in front of the new minion?"

"What are you talking about?!" I shrieked, stomping my feet. "That's _exactly _what happened!!"

"Silence, commanded Count Bleck!" The Count floated over to us, O'Chunks following behind him. The Count turned to me first, as per usual. "Mimi, _please _attempt to control yourself…"

My jaw dropped open. _Me _control _my_self? It was Dimentio's stupid fault! It was _always _Dimentio's stupid fault!

And, much to my surprise, the Count turned to that very jester next. "Dimentio…"

"Yes, my Count?" Dimentio asked with a pleasant smile.

"Stop harassing Mimi. Count Bleck knows the tricks you are up to, and this childish behavior is not going to be tolerated."

Dimentio's smile faltered for the briefest of moments. He looked very surprised himself, actually. "…I beg your pardon?"

"Count Bleck does not need to repeat himself. You _are _bothering Mimi, and Count Bleck knows it is so. Do not try to argue with me, and do not continue this idiotic, childish behavior. You may be dressed like a fool, but Count Bleck would appreciate it if you did not act the part."

Dimentio's jaw dropped, his smile falling altogether and his eyes widening in surprise. I was wearing a pretty similar expression, I'm sure.

"No more of this nonsense." Count Bleck finished.

"B-but, Count…" Dimentio started. "I… I didn't… she was… I just—"

Dimentio was cut short by the Count sticking the blue gem on the tip of his staff in the jester's face. "That is enough, Dimentio. Count Bleck says to leave Mimi alone, and you _will _do as you are told…"

Dimentio looked stunned for a moment, then his expression shifted to a murderous one. He and the Count floated there for a while, glowering at each other.

"…and if I refuse?" Dimentio finally challenged, still frowning.

Count Bleck raised his staff slightly, as if to strike the jester, but was cut off by O'Chunks saying to Dimentio, "Yeh best not be messin' with me Blecky-boy while I'm around!"

Dimentio's gaze shifted to O'Chunks, smiling slightly again. "Oh? And is this blithering _meathead _going to be the one to stop me?"

Suddenly, there was a very loud crashing sound as Dimentio struck the far wall head-first. O'Chunks smiled, shaking out the fist he had used to punch the jester in the face. Count Bleck floated over to Dimentio as he groaned heavily, rubbing his sore head and attempting to pick himself up.

The Count took the sharp end of his staff and quickly stuck it through the collar of Dimentio's poncho, barely missing his throat, pinning him to the floor. He bent over so he was less than an inch from Dimentio, the jester looking… kind of scared.

"Do not forget who your master is…" Count Bleck hissed to Dimentio, his eye glowing as red as my Rubees. "Count Bleck would suggest you learn your place."

Dimentio glowered up at the Count for a while, then forced himself to smile, though he still had a murderous glow in his eyes. "Of course… _master_…" He snarled. With that, the jester snapped his fingers and teleported away.

Count Bleck sighed heavily, straightening back up again. He turned around to face us. "Count Bleck apologizes… Dimentio is a rather tricky one to handle at times…"

"Ay, don't worry 'bout it Count… 'snot yer fault…" O'Chunks reassured him.

Count Bleck looked away. "…Count Bleck… has to wonder…" Suddenly, he turned back to O'Chunks. "My apologies, but Count Bleck needs to attend to something… perhaps Mimi could show you around the castle?"

O'Chunks shrugged. "'at's a'right with meh… whatever yeh like, Count…"

Count Bleck then turned to me. "Mimi? Would you be so kind as to show O'Chunks around the castle?"

I was still staring at the spot where Dimentio had hit the wall. I flinched a little when Count Bleck had called me. "Um… y-yeah, sure thing, Count…" I stuttered, hastily nodding my head.

He nodded at me, sighing in relief. "With that, Count Bleck bids you both farewell…" He drifted off down the halls, the two of us watching him go.

I turned my head up to the new minion. "So… O'Chunks, right?"

He nodded. "'At's me name!"

"Cool…" I said. I glanced from him, to the slight indention in the wall, and back up to O'Chunks. I smiled, nice and wide, like Dimentio often does. "I think we're gonna be good friends, O'Chunks…"

"Ah… really?" He asked, surprised. He scratched the back of his head as I walked past him, then slowly followed me.

"Oh, yeah, totally!" I said, waving him off. "We can do all kinds of stuff together. I'll teach you everything I know about being one of the Count's minions. It's really fun! You'll love it here!"

I saw O'Chunks smile when I turned around. "That's great. Thank yeh, lassie…"

"Lassie? That's cute. I think you should totally call me that…" I said, smiling to myself.

O'Chunks laughed a bit. He was silent after that for a while, then he slowly said, "Hey… Mimi?"

"Yeah?"

"Yer not… yeh aren't _mad _at me for punching yer jester friend, are yeh?"

"Jester friend? Ya mean Dimentio?" I waved him off. "Don't be silly, he totally deserved it! He can be such a meanie-head sometimes, always taking my things, and teasing me, and making me chase him around…"

"Well, if he e'er bothers yeh again…" O'Chunks thumped his chest with a determined smirk. "Yeh jus' le' me know, a'right?"

I stopped walking, turning around to look at him with a devious smile. I looked over his strong, muscular build again, and the dent in the wall he had left from throwing Dimentio. "Oh yeah…" I said. "We're gonna be _great _friends."

After a long day of showing O'Chunks around, Nastasia finally came and found us to send me off to bed (again with the treating me like a baby). I skipped happily into my room and quickly changed into a night gown. However, I had to practically drag myself out of the closet, the over-whelming exhaustion washing over me.

I lazily ripped the ribbons out of my hair, scattering a few square-looking fragments that I had to smooth back into place. I walked over to my vanity and scooped my pile of trinkets back into the small chest, throwing the ribbons in on the top. The chest slipped from my hands, I was so tired, and fell to the ground with a heavy _thump_.

I just sighed, staring at it a moment, and briefly considered ignoring it until morning, but I liked to keep my room as beautiful as myself. So, suppressing the urge to fling myself into bed, I knelt down on the ground and gently picked up my little treasures, placing them back in the box. I had to crawl on my hands and knees a bit to gather them all up.

After crawling around for a bit, I stumbled upon the little scraps of paper littering the floor. I sat down, quickly scooped the trinkets up and threw them in the box, pushing it off to the side. Then, I rooted through the papers, and tried to match up the lines, like a puzzle.

"Maybe Nassy… can tape it for me… in the morning…" I mumbled, still feeling a little sleepy.

As the page began to come together in front of me, the beautiful lettering becoming visible once more, I started to notice something. Down at the bottom of the page, the lines didn't form words. They were slowly developing into a picture.

"Oh yeah…" I said quietly, pausing to yawn heavily. "…my doodle…" The last of the pieces fit together, and I could just make out the little doodle between all the rips and tears.

It was a drawing of me and Dimentio. He was smiling sweetly at me as he held me tightly in his arms. I was looking up at him with a loving, adoring expression.

"_What's the magic word, Dimmy?" _Doodle-me asked sweetly.

"_Love…" _Doodle-Dimentio replied dreamily.

"_Nu-uh…" _Doodle-me protested. _"Say __**all **__of it…"_

"_I love you, Mimikins…" _Doodle-Dimentio recited.

I smiled fondly as I looked at it. Then, I started to remember the fight we had earlier. I remembered him teasing and mocking me, toying with my emotions like it was all just a stupid joke to him.

Everything was a joke to him. I hated that.

I felt hot tears welling up in my eyes, my chest feeling tight and heavy with my boiling rage. I reached out a hand, and for a split second, I considered tearing the paper to even smaller bits so I wouldn't have to look at it anymore. Then, I saw Dimentio's smiling face in the little drawing, and I started to remember how sweet and happy he could be.

More than that, I saw _my _smile. I saw how happy I was to be with him, and how happy he could make _me_.

So, with a heavy sigh, I pulled out a small drawer on the front of my chest, and quickly threw the hair clips that were in it into the large top with everything else. I then carefully gathered up all the scraps of paper and gently laid them in the drawer, closing it up tight. I stood up, set the chest gently on my vanity, and made a mental note to ask Nastasia if she could tape the paper up for me.

I walked slowly over to my bed, dragged myself up on top, and happily snuggled into the deep, soft covers, and cool, inviting pillows. Nothing made me happier than sleeping in my wonderful bed.

And so, I finally drifted off into the bliss of sleep. I decided that after getting Nastasia to fix my papers, I would need to go make Count Bleck smile again. He needed a good smile after what happened today.

I smiled to myself as a thought occurred to me. _Maybe I'll get O'Chunks to go beat up Dimentio tomorrow… that stupid-head deserves it anyway…_

With that evil, mischievous smile on my face and thoughts of Dimentio at O'Chunks' mercy dancing through my mind, I slept soundly that night.


	10. Chapter 9

"_Ah, Mimi… welcome back…"_

I flinched when I heard the spine-tingling voice behind me. _No, no, no_… I thought, trembling slightly. _Dear Grambi, please no…_

A slender hand rested on my shoulder, the fingers simply being three long, black claws. I heard the high-pitched female voice again, louder, as the figure stooped down to whisper in my ear. _"It's been quite a while since I've seen you here, hasn't it?"_

I whipped around to face the figure, stumbling away from her chilling grip. With a gasp of surprise, I found my worst fears to be correct—there she was: my demon, alive and well.

She stood up to her full height, towering over me, grinning that jack-o-lantern smile. _"What is the matter, dear girl? Are you frightened of me?"_

I hesitantly nodded my head, trembling a bit.

"_Good…_" She whispered, grinning madly. She suddenly stooped forward, and brushed her claws along my cheek. _"You should be…" _she hissed in my ear.

I shuddered, whimpering pitifully. "Wh-why… did you… come b-back?" I stammered.

I heard a light, musical chuckle escape her lips. _"Silly, silly girl… I never left… you know I would never abandon you…" _She was walking around me now, slithering on the flowing tentacles at the base of her long tail. She twirled her claws around my pigtails, making them pull at the back of my head.

"I wish you'd… j-just… leave me alone…" I whimpered.

"_Ha!" _She said, flipping her long hair over her shoulder. _"You 'wish'… I thought I've told you there's no need for silly things like 'wishing'… only a waste of precious air…"_

I felt tears in my eyes. I remembered how many countless times she had told me that. There's no good in wishing, wishes on stars wouldn't save my soul, and I was a stupid, idiotic, _fool _for thinking they would.

"N-nassy… s-said… you were… g-go-gone." I mumbled, staring hard at my feet. I was afraid to look up at her.

"_Nassy, nassy…" _The demon mused, tapping on her chin. _"I haven't seen in a while—which one was that?"_

I gulped nervously, almost afraid to reveal my friends to her. "Sh-she's the one… with blue skin… and the purple hair… she wears glasses, and she—"

"_Oh, that's right…" _I didn't like the tone in the demon's voice. She sounded displeased, as though someone had just assigned her a difficult task. _"The little __**witch **__that cut off our connection, isn't she?"_

I nodded. "Yeah… that's her."

Suddenly, much to my surprise, the demon was smiling again. She turned slightly to look at me over her shoulder, eyes narrowing mischievously. _"Go on, then… how did she do it? A spell of some sort? What is she—a witch? A priestess? A magician?"_

I shook my head. "I du…" I gulped nervously. "I dunno…"

The demon turned fully to face me. _"You're a bad liar, girl…" _She hissed.

I took a hesitant step back, shrinking away from her. "I-I'm not ly-lying…" I insisted.

"_Oh? Is that so?" _She didn't sound very convinced. She was right—I was a _really _crappy liar. _"Are you __**sure **__about that?"_

I nodded. "P-positive…"

Suddenly, her claws grabbed my jaw, yanking upwards so I was looking right into her eyes. They weren't red anymore; they were the usual glowing, eerie white. Her soulless eyes narrowed into slits, staring deep into my eyes. I had to wonder if the hypnotism was still working. If it wa—

Oops.

I hit the ground with a heavy thud as the demon dropped me, her smile growing wider to twist her features. _"Hypnotism, was it? Why didn't you say so? Such an old trick can be easily worked around… I'll be back to manipulating you before—"_

"No!" I shrieked, pushing myself up. "You can't! Please! Everything's finally going right for me! You can't just take it all away!"

"_Oh, I can't, you say?" _The demon waved me off, cackling mercilessly. _"Nonsense… I've taken away __**everything **__you've ever had, and I can take this away just as easily… I'll destroy this home just like your others and your new pathetic little friends will fall right along with it!"_

"NO!" I could feel the tears streaming down my face now. "Please, I'm begging you; I'll do anything you want! Anything at all!"

"…_Or…" _She mused, putting a claw to her chin again. _"I could destroy everything… and you could do what I want anyway… I think I like that plan better!"_

"No, please…" I sobbed, trying to wipe away the tears. "I finally have a real home… and a family… they all love me… someone's _finally _accepted me… they've seen the monster, and they're helping me train it… they don't think I'm a freak, they think it's amazing…"

There was silence for a very long time. Finally, out of curiosity, I looked up to see the demon, staring at me, mouth agape.

"…_what… did you say…?" _She finally whispered, her voice hoarse and weak.

I gulped nervously. "They accepted me. They're my family now—I'm one of them…"

Instantly, the demon was in front of me again, her tail bending like she was sitting on her knees so she was face-to-face with me. She grabbed my face again and forced me close to her so she was staring deep into my eyes.

More silence. For hours, it seemed, neither of us moved or said anything.

Finally, the demon pulled back, looking very stunned. _"I don't… I don't believe it… it's true… you're one of them…"_

I nodded as she slowly released me. "I told you… they're my family now…"

The demon laughed at that, coming back to her senses. _"Ah, dear girl… they aren't your family… they are only __**using **__you… believe me, child, I know their type… they'll do whatever they please, exhausting your talents for their little schemes, then simply throw you away like the pathetic piece of trash you are."_

My heart dropped into my stomach. "That isn't true!" I snapped, against the little voice in the back of my mind, reminding me that it wasn't a good idea to argue with her. "They love me! Count Bleck's going to take good care of me!"

"_Count Bleck, hm?" _She mused, ignoring the rest of my ramblings.

"That's right! Count Bleck! He's the sweetest, nicest, most amazing guy in the world. _Ever_." I said clearly, stomping my foot for emphasis as I crossed my arms stubbornly over my chest. I loved my new life, and I wasn't about to let my demon convince me otherwise.

"_We'll see about that…" _The demon said, grinning evilly. _"I'll poke around a bit on the outside, see what I can find on this 'Count Bleck', and we'll see just how loyal he is…"_

"Fine. Go ahead." I challenged, already getting a sinking feeling that I was going to regret it. "And what about the others? They all love me too. Nassy's teaching me lots of neat things, and O'Chunks is my new best friend, and Dimentio…" I trailed off. "Dimentio is too." I decided, refusing to admit that he was any more than a friend.

The demon got her evil grin back. _"If you say so… but, heed my warning, girl… if you throw all your trust to these people, you're in for a rude awakening…"_

I glared at her. "I don't believe you… They're my family. They'll take care of me, so I'm going to take care of them—and I won't let you kill them off!"

The demon narrowed her eyes, looking for a moment as if she would like to rip my pigtails out by the roots. Then, she relaxed, grinning madly. _"Alright, then, girl… I'll make you a deal… I'll refrain from any destruction, I won't even possess you, and you can keep your silly little 'family'… alright?"_

"Yes, yes!" I said, nodding eagerly. Then, my face fell. I glared at her as I skeptically raised an eyebrow. "Wait… what's the catch?"

"_All you must do for me… is obtain…" _She thought for a moment, trying to select a good way to phrase it. _"…information, shall we say?"_

"…alright…" I said slowly. "How do I do that?"

The demon laughed under her breath. _"You needn't worry—that's the easy part! You simply go on living your new life as normally as possible. Anything your little mind stores away, I'll be able to see…So, in short… you grant me access to your memories… and I'll grant you a new life of freedom…" _She extended a long, clawed hand to me, grinning like mad. _"Do we have a deal, girl?"_

I thought for a while on what she was offering me. I tried to think of every horrible thing that could go wrong should I allow her into my memories. I tried to find some way she could be using this against me. I even found myself considering what would happen if she didn't hold up her end of the bargain, yet I would still be forced to hold mine.

However… no matter what the threats were, I needed this new life. And that was something I simply couldn't put a price on.

So, against my better judgment, I grabbed her hand in mine and gave it a firm shake. "Deal." I said clearly.

The demon's grin widened. _"That's a good girl…" _She hissed. With that, she turned and began to slither off, her long tentacles curling up and waving around her. _"I'll leave you alone for now… but, I'll still be checking in for that information… I wouldn't be surprised if I ran into you again…"_

I gulped nervously, looking down at my feet. "I was afraid you were going to say that…"

"_Oh, and one last word of warning, girl…" _The demon called over her shoulder. _"I'd stay well away from Dimentio if I were you… that boy's nothing but bad news…"_

_A dream… _I kept reciting in my head as I dragged my sleepy self downstairs. _It was just a bad dream… that's all…_I recalled the empty, white room we had stood in for the conversation. I'd never been somewhere like that before—so I must have imagined it. I remembered Nastasia, earlier telling me, that my demon was gone forever. Perhaps she hadn't truly come back last night. Maybe it had all been just my imagination. That's possible… isn't it?

Oi… I needed a diary entry right about now. Unfortunately, just as I was about to write in it this morning, Dimentio had knocked on my door to call me down to breakfast. Afraid he would barge in and see it, I hastily threw my diary between the vanity and the wall it was pushed up on.

So, now, it was stuck back there. I couldn't quite reach it, not even when I turned into my monster. I'd have to get O'Chunks to come move the vanity for me or something later.

After a long trail of rambly, mismatched thoughts, much similar to these, I arrived at the dining room, where the rest of my little family was gathered for breakfast, already eating. I walked in, yawned, and tiredly greeted, "Mornin', guys…"

"Mimi, you're late this morning…" Count Bleck pointed out, not looking up from the book he was reading.

"Yeah, you're usually, um, one of the first down…" Nastasia said, eying me carefully as I walked around her to the Count's chair.

I had almost forgotten that Count Bleck needed a smile after yesterday's little fight with Dimentio. So I walked over to him, and without even catching his attention, threw my arms around his waist. The Count jumped slightly in surprise, looking down at me.

I smiled up at him, and whispered, "You looked like you needed a hug…"

Count Bleck stared at me a moment, then smiled warmly and slid his hands away from the book to hug me back. He whispered in my ear, "Count Bleck did need that… thank you very much, Mimi…"

I beamed. I loved making the Count happy. However, my own happiness was not to last as I realized what the seating arrangement had become this morning. Nastasia was sitting to the Count's right, and O'Chunks was right beside her, and finally, Dimentio was seated to the Count's left. That meant that the only seat left was on the far corner, where Dimentio would be between the Count and me.

Well, that certainly wasn't going to happen, so rather than taking the available chair beside Dimentio, I walked right up to the charming magician, looked up at him with sad, pleading eyes, and said, "I wanna sit by the Count…" just like I did on most mornings.

Dimentio didn't even pretend to be surprised. He just smiled down at me, with kind of a mean look in his eyes, and said, "Clearly, you are blind as an old beggar, because _I _am currently sitting here."

I pointed to the chair adjacent to his. "Move." I said.

Dimentio waved me off. "Go bother someone else, I'm eating."

I stomped my foot. "Diiiimmyyyyyy…" I whined. I knew he hated it when I whined. "I wanna sit by the Count…"

Dimentio ran a hand over his face. "No, Mimi. And you can whine all you want; it isn't going to get me to—"

"Dimentio, stop bothering Mimi and give her what she wants…" The Count said, not even looking at us.

Dimentio's jaw dropped. "What?" He yelled as Nastasia and O'Chunks started snickering quietly between themselves. "Forgive me for saying so Count, but she star—"

"Count Bleck believes you were given instructions just yesterday that childish behavior was not going to be tolerated… is this not so?" The Count asked, glaring at Dimentio over his monocle.

"I'm not being childish!" Dimentio insisted.

"Then, why are you arguing with a child, Count Bleck inquired?" I beamed up at Dimentio when the Count nodded in my direction.

Dimentio stared at the Count for a while, trying to decide whether or not he was joking. I guess he decided he wasn't, because the jester then proceed to snarl at me, casting me a cold glare, and scoot over into the other chair, allowing me to climb up and take my favorite spot beside the Count.

"Good. Now, Mimi, that you have what you wanted, do stop that whining…" Count Bleck told me, going back to the book.

"Yes, Count Bleck." I recited. Dimentio snarled at me again, mumbling something to the effect of _"Suck up…" _under his breath. I stuck my tongue out at him, then leaned over to get a better glimpse of the Count's book. "What's that, Count?" I asked sweetly. After all, who could resist the innocent curiosity of a child?

Apparently, Count Bleck can, because he instantly lifted up the front cover so it stood as a barrier between the pages and my line of vision. "That's none of your concern, Mimi. Eat your breakfast." He said, nodding towards the plate Nastasia set down in front of me.

"Okay…" I said, sitting back down. I looked over the cover of the book, hoping to find a title, author, anything. Unfortunately, it was nothing but a sleek, black book, with a red trim, snaking around the edge, and dipping around the white stone in each of the four corners. There was also a red diamond around the pinkish aura leaking out from beneath the dark blue gem placed in the center.

It was a rather beautiful book, I decided. I would love to have a dress that looked something like that. I looked over the back dress I was wearing. It already had white stones around the bottom, so I could just modify it. Maybe I could get a blue stone like that somewhere to sew on the chest… a red ribbon here and there would do nicely for the trims…

_Yeah, I could do that… _I decided absentmindedly, sticking a forkful of food in my mouth. As soon as I swallowed it, I leaned over and snatched a forkful off of Dimentio's plate, stuffing it in my mouth before he could protest.

"Hey! That was mine!" He hissed under his breath, for fear of upsetting the Count twice that morning.

I stuck my tongue out, showing the half-chewed food. "You want it back?"

He grimaced. "No thanks…" Then, he smirked, stuck his fork into my plate and stuffed the bite into his mouth. "Ha." He said, swallowing.

I blushed in rage, then whipped around to face the Count. "Count! Dimentio's stealing my food!"

"Mimi, stop bothering Dimentio." The Count said, again, without looking up. Dimentio, meanwhile, burst out laughing.

Oh, so we're back to everything being my fault, huh, Dimentio? Fine. Just you wait…

"Oy, lass…" O'Chunks said, grabbing my attention. "Didja get enough sleep las' nigh'?"

"Yeah… you're a little, uh, cranky, today…" Nastasia put in.

I opened my mouth to say something clever, but I noticed Dimentio had stopped laughing. He was listening, waiting for me to say something stupid so he could make fun of me. So, I just sank down in my seat, picking at my food, and bluntly admitted, "No, not really… I had a bad dream…"

"A dream, huh?" Nastasia said. "What, um, about?"

I shrugged. "My demon."

The dining room suddenly seemed _very _quiet.

I looked up at Nastasia. "…What?" I asked, unsure of what to say.

"Uh… Mimi? Are you, um, _sure _it was the demon?" Nastasia questioned slowly, raising her eyebrow slightly.

"Yeah, I'm sure…" I said. "She was talking to me all night. She wouldn't go away."

Count Bleck looked up from his book to narrow his eyes at his secretary. "…Nastasia… you said that Mimi's demon would _never _be returning…"

Nastasia fumbled to grab the clipboard beside her, rapidly shuffling through her notes. "Um… i-it shouldn't, sir… It, uh, hasn't in the p-past month! I don't know what, uh, could p-possibly be happening, 'k-kay?"

Count Bleck rolled his eyes, then turned to me. "Mimi, Count Bleck does not suppose you have any idea why your demon would be suddenly returning?"

I shrugged. "I dunno… She's weird…"

"I can't find any, uh, reason she would come back…" Nastasia stammered, looking through the most recent notes. "Yeah, I'm totally lost on this one, 'k?"

"Of course you are…" Count Bleck mumbled. He then turned back to me, closing his book. Obviously, something was very wrong here, that required his full attention. "Mimi, what did your demon say to you in your dream last night?"

"Umm…" I shrank down in my seat. All I could think about was how she wanted to possess me again so she could kill them all and destroy the castle. "I don't… remember…"

"She's lying, Count." Dimentio said. "You can see it all over her face."

I jabbed my elbow into his gut, making him double over and start choking on the bite he had just swallowed. When he recovered, he simply said to me, "Well, if you don't want me to call you out on it, be a better liar!"

"Oh, yeah, Mimi… I'm sure Dimentio could, uh, give you lessons… 'k?" Nastasia said, casting a glare to Dimentio over her glasses.

Dimentio took on a similar expression, narrowing his cold, dark eyes at the secretary. "It is horribly _rude _to imply things, Nastasia… could you be suggesting that _I _am a liar?"

"I could…" Nastasia growled, eyes narrowing. "I'm simply saying that, if you were, you would make a very _good _one."

"Nastasia. Dimentio." Count Bleck snapped. "That is quite enough. Count Bleck has told you both before to stop that nonsense…"

"Yes, Count Bleck…" Nastasia and Dimentio both said, still glaring at each other. I had to make a mental note of that for later, and I found myself wondering what was going on between these two. After all, hadn't Nastasia and Dimentio both been with the Count long before I had arrived? Perhaps… perhaps there was a bit more to their relationship—or maybe each of them knew of some dark secret about the other.

I certainly hoped that wasn't the case. I learned a long time ago that secrets are a very bad thing to keep. They lead to nothing but trouble.

"Now, Mimi…"Count Bleck said gently, turning his attention back to me. "You are not in any trouble, if that is what you think… please, we need to understand what your demon is after if we are to protect you from her…"

I felt my heart flutter in my chest. They wanted to protect me. I had been right—my family wouldn't let my demon hurt me anymore.

"Well… um…" I mumbled, twirling my pigtails around. "She didn't say much… I remembered she was mad at Nastasia for hypnotizing her… and she said 'such an old trick can be easily worked around'…"

"Nastasia…" The Count began.

"Uh, yeah, I'm on it, Count…" Nastasia mumbled, scribbling something on her clipboard. "We'll have to find some other means to, uh, suppress the demon, 'k? Yeah, I'll handle that right after breakfast..."

"Good, said Count Bleck… Mimi, did your demon tell you anything else of interest?"

I shrugged. "Like I said, she didn't say much… she kept saying it was a mistake for me to stay here, but I didn't believe her…" I was hesitant to tell them anything about the deal I had made with her, so I thought saying that would be enough. However, something else she had said suddenly dawned on me.

"Oh yeah… and she said '_Stay away from Dimentio… he's bad news…_'"

_I really like this chapter! It certainly turned out a lot better than I thought it would!_

_I especially liked the dining room scene. We're developing Dimentio and Mimi into the Hate stage. Right now, they just like to pick on each other, like we commonly see in the game. _

_This is also some major development on Mimi's part… I think this scene really showed how spoiled she's becoming—as she's getting more and more accustomed to getting everything she wants on demand. Obviously, that blame mainly falls to Count Bleck, who is kind of ordering the others to give her anything just to shut her up._

_This is getting fun! And we're almost to the REALLY good parts!_


	11. Chapter 10

Once again, the dining room went _really _quiet, _really _fast.

Everyone turned to look at Dimentio, who was staring at me with a rather stunned expression. I had never seen him like that—he looked absolutely horrified. His smile was complelty gone, his eyes widened in fear; I had to wonder what I had said that made him so scared, but for the life of me, I couldn't figure it out.

After what seemed like hours (it was really only a minute or two), Dimentio's gaze shifted to the others. He flashed a smile at the Count, laughing nervously, then he glared at me with that dark, scary look in his eyes and hissed, "What are you talking about?"

I shrugged. "That's just what my demon said… I dunno what she meant by it, though…"

"Yeah, one has to, uh, wonder…" Nastasia said, putting her elbows on the table and resting her chin on her folded hands. She smiled slightly at Dimentio, looking at him over her glasses. "…what do you think she could, um, mean by that?"

The murderous look in Dimentio's eyes vanished when he turned to smile at Nastasia. It was a shaky, fake smile, though, like he was trying to cover something. He laughed nervously again, and turned to Count Bleck, saying, "I assure you, my Count, I haven't the faintest idea what they're talking about…"

"He's lying, Count." I said, feeling my heart skip at taking my revenge—if I couldn't lie about anything, then neither could he. "You can see it _aaaalllll _over his face…" I smiled when I said that, twirling my fork in a circle around his mask.

Much to my surprise, Dimentio looked at me again with his first expression—horror. He looked scared to death, and I could have sworn I heard his heart racing in his chest. My smile widened in delight at his reaction, my eyes narrowing as they gleamed mischievously at him. "Well, if you don't want me to call you out on it, _be a better liar…_"

Dimentio opened his mouth to argue with me, but he couldn't seem to think of anything to say. He just kept staring at me, getting more and more nervous.

"Ooooh, Dimentio…" Nastasia sneered, smiling wider. "If Mimi saw through you, how are you, uh, going to lie to the rest of us?"

Dimentio looked over at Nastasia again, looking very scared. "B-but… no, I'm no-not lying…" He tried to argue. It didn't sound very convincing—he kept stuttering, and his voice sounded very strained.

"Dimentio?" Count Bleck said gently. "Would you care to explain yourself?"

Dimentio smiled nervously, quickly shaking his head. "I assure you… there's absolutely nothing to explain… I don't have a clue what the girl's talking about…"

"Oy… yeh don' _look _like yeh ain' got a clue…" O'Chunks put in. "Yer startin' to look migh'y scared…"

"Yeah, Dimentio…" Nastasia said slyly. "Why don't you, uh, go ahead and tell us what it is you're so worried about, 'k?"

"Nothing!" Dimentio said, sounding desperate. "I don't know what you're expecting me to pull out of thin air—I have no idea what Mimi's demon is talking about!"

"Alright, that is enough." Count Bleck said, calmly but loudly. Everyone suddenly stopped, and the dining room fell silent again. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Dimentio's hands trembling slightly. Suddenly, I didn't feel so good about getting him in this mess—it wasn't as funny as it was five minutes ago.

Count Bleck looked around at all of us, his gaze resting for quite a while on Dimentio. I watched Dimentio stare into the Count's eyes for a while, then quickly look down at the floor, shuddering slightly. Finally, the Count said, "Now, all of you stop this arguing… we will discuss this matter _later_."

Everyone silently nodded in agreement, and I heard Dimentio give a heavy sigh of relief, closing his eyes and slumping forwards. However, I'm sure everyone could tell by the tone of the Count's voice that 'we'll discuss this later' actually meant 'no one is to ever speak of this again'.

After that, we finished off our breakfast and drifted out of the dining room one by one. I was the last to go, slowly putting my dishes away, feeling very heavy-hearted that I had gotten Dimentio in trouble. I shouldn't have said anything. Now, everybody thought that Dimentio was lying about something, and it was my fault.

As I left the dining room, I spotted Dimentio a ways ahead, floating very slowly down the corridor. I ran after him as quick as I could. I knew he probably didn't want to see me, so I fought back the urge to call out his name, but I could tell the _tap tap tap _of my feet on the hard ground was a dead giveaway.

Dimentio must have been really depressed or something, because he didn't even try to teleport away. He just kept floating, allowing me to catch up with him. However, as I caught up and started walking beside him, he didn't even glance in my direction, or acknowledge my presence at _all_, for that matter.

"Dimentio?" I quietly whispered, not wanting to break the silence of the corridors. Dimentio said absolutely nothing.

"…Dimentio?" I tried again, slightly louder. Still no response. Not so much as looking at me. He wasn't even speeding up to try to get away from me—he was just ignoring me.

I reached out and grabbed the hem of his poncho, giving it a few slight tugs. "Dimentio…" I said again, trying desperately to seize his attention.

At long last, he turned ever-so-slightly to glance at me over his shoulder. His gaze turned back ahead as he quietly sighed and asked, "What is it, Mimi?"

I felt like I wanted to cry. I had seen his mask when he turned to look at me, and I could tell that he wasn't smiling. He wasn't smiling, and it wasn't the Count's fault, or Nastasia's, or even O'Chunks'. This time, it was _my _fault, and I was a little surprised how that broke my heart. I tried so hard to make everyone else in the castle happy, and now I had made Dimentio so sad.

"I'm sorry, Dimentio…" I quietly mumbled, feeling tears in my eyes.

Dimentio sighed again, closing his eyes and turning his head away. "You don't need to be sorry for anything, Mimi…"

"Yeah, I do… I got everyone mad at you…" I sniffled, wiping my eyes. The tears kept falling anyway, and I had to let go of Dimentio's poncho to wipe them away. "I'm sorry I got you in trouble… and I'm sorry I made everybody think you're a liar… and I'm s-sorry…" I was outright crying now, pausing now and then to choke on my tears. I couldn't see Dimentio anymore for all the tears falling, and I seriously doubted that he was still listening to me.

"I'm ju-just…" I went on anyway. "I'm so-sor-rry… Di-Dimen-t-tio… I'm sorry… you ha-hate m-me… and I'm… so-sorry… I'm the… wo-worst fr… friend… in th-the wo-world…" I dropped down onto my knees, sobbing and crying as my arms wound around my stomach to hold myself together. The overwhelming truth of my own words nearly crushed me to death. I was right, after all. What kind of a horrible friend would treat someone like I had just treated Dimentio?

Sure, Dimentio had done the same thing to me, but I hadn't cared. I liked when Dimentio did that sort of thing. He was just messing around—it was just his way of paying me some sort of attention, and I _loved _that. However, when _I _had returned the favor, I got him in trouble. I was just playing along with the others, even if I believed with all my heart that Dimentio would _never _lie to me. I didn't know he'd get hurt. I didn't know I'd ruin everything.

Good Grambi, why am I such a freaking idiot?

Suddenly, I felt two cold arms wrap around my shoulders, pulling me gently into a comforting hug. I threw my arms around Dimentio, knowing it was him, and sobbed into his chest, for the moment not even caring that I was ruining his beautiful poncho with my stupid tears.

Dimentio didn't say anything; he just wrapped his arms tighter around me, gently stroking my pigtails. After a while, when my sobs had calmed back down to silently flowing tears, Dimentio started to sweetly whisper in my ear, "Better now, dear?"

I slowly nodded my head, tightening my grip on his poncho, signifying that I was not ready to be let go of. Dimentio understood, tightening his grip on me as well. "Now, I told you…" He went on with a sweet, sympathetic tone. "There's absolutely _nothing _for you to be sorry about…"

I stubbornly shook my head, my chest tightening as I began to think I was going to start sobbing again. "I'm sorry…" I repeated. "I didn't mean to get you in trouble…"

"I know you didn't, Mimi…" Dimentio softly assured me.

"Everybody's mad at you… and it's my fault…" I pitifully whimpered.

"No, it isn't…" Dimentio said quietly. He sounded off… distracted… as though he weren't really talking to me anymore. "Nastasia's _never _trusted me…"

"Well, now she doesn't trust you even more and it's my stupid fault!" I suddenly shrieked. I was sobbing again, collapsing into his arms and holding on to him so tight my hands felt like they were going to break.

"Shhhhh… Don't worry, Mimi…" Dimentio gently lifted my chin up so I could look at him. He was smiling sweetly again, with that warm, soft glow in his eyes. As miserable as I was, I had to admit that it made my heart flutter to see him like that again. Dimentio continued to stroke my hair, softly whispering, "Just give them time, and I promise they'll all forget about it… Everything's going to be just fine, you'll see…"

I sniffled again, slowly wiping the tears out of my eyes. "…p-promise?" I asked quietly.

Dimentio smiled a bit wider, pulling me back into a comforting hug. "I promise." He gently assured me.

I allowed myself to smile, snuggling into his arms. If Dimentio promised, and he truly believed it, that was enough for me.

"…well?" I quietly asked.

Nastasia hardly glanced at me over her glasses. "Well what?" she asked.

"Do you think you can, ya know… fix it?" I mumbled, growing more anxious that the answer would be 'no'.

Nastasia smiled at me for a short moment. "Sure… it'll take a while to, uh, stick them together, but you've already got them in the right order… it'll be fine."

I smiled, wrapping my arms around her waist in an adoring hug. Nastasia was sitting at a desk in her room, the pieces to my shredded paper lying in perfect order in front of her. I had worked so meticulously hard to sort them out for her, but I was afraid to mess them up if I stuck them together myself. Nastasia was always so neat and so organized.

I looked around Nastasia's room as she set to work. Her whole room was just like her—everything in perfect order. It was mostly gray, black, and a little white, not much color except for the occasional splash of purple.

It wasn't that I disliked coming into Nastasia's room; it was more that I was _afraid_ to. I was always so scared I would break something or mess something up and she would yell at me (though, honestly, I can't recall I time when I ever saw Nastasia _yell_ at anyone).

"So, uh, Mimi…" Nastasia asked, grabbing my attention. I noticed her carefully sticking a few pieces onto a larger piece as she spoke. "How did you, um, do this?"

"I've been practicing." I said proudly, beaming at my beautiful handwriting.

Nastasia almost laughed for a moment. "No, I mean… how did you tear it up like this?"

I felt my pigtails droop as I glared at the floor. "Oh… Dimentio did that…"

Nastasia sighed somewhat, casting a look over in my direction. "I see… _Dimentio_ did this… what was he doing with it?"

"Teasing me." I stated bluntly. "Because of the drawing." I pointed lightly to the end of the shredded pieces that made up the doodle of the two of us.

"Mm-hm…" Nastasia said, nodding her head as she picked up more pieces. "He's still teasing you a lot, is he?"

I nodded miserably. "Yeah, he is."

"I see… how about I speak to Count Bleck about that?" Nastasia gently asked, smiling at me.

For a minute, I almost said yes. Then, after carefully considering it a moment, I shook my head and said, "No… Dimentio was pretty upset after breakfast… I don't want to get him in trouble again…"

"Believe me, Mimi, he gets himself into _plenty_ of trouble without your help…" Nastasia said. She cast a bit of a glare towards me, saying, "And, look… your demon, tricky as she is, just might be on to something… Dimentio's not the kindest or the most honest man I've ever met…"

I glared at her. "Yeah, well he's my friend." I was a little surprised at how firm and angry my voice sounded. "I don't care what she says. I trust him, and I'm going to hang out with him anyway."

Nastasia sighed very heavily, putting down the paper a moment. After a while, she looked over at me with a sad kind of look in her eyes and said, "Alright, Mimi…" She picked the paper back up, working on it again. "Just… please be careful… 'kay?"

I nodded. "Okay. I'll be careful." I reassured her, though I wasn't at all sure what I was supposed to be careful of.

There was somewhat of a silence between us as Nastasia worked and I looked around the room again. Finally, I turned somewhat sheepishly to her, and quietly asked, "Nastasia? Can I… ask you something?"

"Sure, Mimi." She said, not looking up.

I nervously twirled my pigtails. "Why don't you… um… trust Dimentio?"

Nastasia didn't say anything.

"…Is there a reason?" I wondered, trying to get an answer out of her. "…Did he… I dunno… do something bad?"

I didn't like the silence that suddenly filled the room. It was much too quiet, and it was driving me crazy.

"Hey, Mimi…" Nastasia said to grab my attention, as if I hadn't been speaking at all. "Why don't you go play in your room or something?"

I felt my heart sink. "What? But, I—"

"I'll, um, call you when it's ready, 'kay?" Nastasia asked sweetly, flashing me a broken, tired smile.

I was about to protest, then I saw that smile, so I hung my head and slowly left the room. "Kay… see ya later, Nassy…"

A few hours after that conversation (and I still hadn't heard from Nastasia about my drawing) O'Chunks and I were in my room, trying to get my diary out from behind the vanity.

"Be careful!" I snapped. "Don't drop any of my stuff!"

"Oi, sorry, Lass…" O'Chunks said, setting the vanity carefully back down.

"Okay, picking it up isn't working…" I said to myself, pacing the floors. "You might break something, and _that_ won't be good."

"A'right then…" O'Chunks said, leaning against the vanity. "Per'aps I can jus' push it aside for yeh…"

I tapped my chin, eyeing the vanity, and the space around it. "No, it would hit something. I don't think there's much room to get it out of the way."

"Well, yeh don't need much room, do yeh?" He said, rubbing the back of his head. "Yer an awfully scrawny lil lass… we jus' need ta move it so yeh can crawl back there and get it…"

I thought a moment, then glared at him. "Oh, duh… I totally knew that."

O'Chunks rolled his eyes at me. "Righ' then…"

I ignored the comment, flicking my wrist at him. "Go on, then, get to moving!"

"And what do we have here?" I spun around at the sound of the melodic voice drifting into my bedroom. Dimentio floated in the window, smiling at me. As glad as I was to see him happy again, I didn't want him to get his hands of my diary after what he had done to my paper.

I scrunched up my face, scurrying over to him. "What do you think you're doing here? Get out of my room!"

Dimentio pretended to be hurt. "But, Mimi, dear… you're letting _O'Chunks_ in your room…" He drifted inside my room as he spoke, so he floated between me and O'Chunks, gesturing from me to him. "Why in all the dimensions would you prefer this monstrosity's presence over mine?"

"'Ey!" O'Chunks said. "I 'eard that!"

Dimentio turned slightly to smile at O'Chunks over his shoulder. "Oh look. It understands us. How charming. And, furthermore, I was not speaking to you. Mind your own business."

"But, yer talkin' about _me_!" O'Chunks said, stomping his foot on my floor.

Dimentio sighed. "Why must I repeat myself?" He mumbled. Then, louder, "Yes, but I was not talking _to_ you. I am speaking to little Mimi here."

"What do you want, Dimentio?" I demanded again, snatching the jester's attention back to myself.

"Only to see what my dear little Mimi has gotten herself into…" He cheerily replied.

I glared at him. "O'Chunks is helping me with something, okay?"

Dimentio pouted. "I'm afraid that isn't in the slightest bit 'okay'…" He informed me matter-of-factly. "I like to keep a close eye on you, and I _don't_ like you hanging out with O'Chunks instead of me."

My eyes narrowed as a cruel smile curled across my lips. "What… you're not _jealous_ are you?"

I was unaware before this point in my life that Dimentio was capable of blushing through his mask. I was very surprised to find that he _could_, because he _was_ at just that moment.

The cheeks of his mask turned light pink as his eyes widened a fraction, his pout dropping to a surprised frown. I liked that expression. He looked nervous. I _made_ him nervous.

I liked that. I decided he was going to be doing that expression again. Soon.

"Well?" I prompted, smiling wider. I noticed O'Chunks smiling as well at the jester's unexpected reaction. "You're not jealous, are you?"

Dimentio remained stunned only a moment more, then he smiled confidently again, much to my disappointment. "What is there to be jealous of? I have utmost confidence that a young girl of such beauty, grace, sophistication, and high-class-taste, such as yourself, would quickly grow tired of this great brute and come crawling back to a truly _charming_ man."

Well, golly, what girl in their right mind _wouldn't_ come crawling to him after _that_?

Dimentio's smiled widened. He leaned forward, caught my chin between his fingers, and gently pushed my jaw up, saying, "Close your mouth, darling. It's rather unattractive."

I hadn't even been aware my mouth was open. As I shrugged him off, Dimentio pulled back from me and floated over towards O'Chunks to investigate what the problem was.

"Hey!" I said. "What are you doing?"

"Offering my assistance." Dimentio said, smiling at me. "Is that a problem?"

"Well… who says I even want your stupid help?" I demanded.

Dimentio shrugged. "It matters not, because you're getting it anyway." Ignoring me as I shrieked in rage, Dimentio turned to O'Chunks and said, "Now, what seems to be the dear little girl's trouble?"

O'Chunks shrugged and gestured to my vanity. "The lass dropped 'er diary… says it's back 'ere somewhere…"

"Hmmm…" Dimentio mused, floating up off the ground to peer behind the vanity mirror as much as possible. "I don't see a thing…"

"You can't see it, dummy…" I snapped bitterly, crossing my arms with a huff. "It's stuck way back there. I can't even reach it when I turn into my monster."

"Spider." Dimentio said.

I blinked. "…what?"

"Spider." Dimentio repeated, turning to smile at me. "Your other form is a _spider_, not a _monster_. I've been thinking on it, and I've recently decided it's much too adorable-looking to be referred to as a monster."

"What?" I gasped, somewhat angry. "It is too a monster! You saw yourself—I totally destroyed my home planet!"

…where did _that_ come from? Was I seriously just… _bragging_ about that?

"Mmmm, yes, you did…" Dimentio said. "You misunderstand me, child. I never once said it was any less powerful. It only looks…" He turned slightly, looked me up and down, smiled, and said, "Cute."

I blushed with fury. "It is NOT!" Seriously, what was _with_ me today?

Dimentio shrugged. "If you say so. But, still, spider it is. Anyway—" he interrupted me before I could argue, "—would you like me to fetch your diary for you?"

"No! Me and O'Chunks can handle it ourselves!" I yelled angrily.

"Are you sure?" Dimentio asked, looking surprised. He snapped his fingers, suddenly holding my diary, and waving it at me. "It's just that simple."

I blushed even harder. "I said I don't want your stupid help!"

Dimentio smiled, holding the diary over the mirror. "Would you like me to put it back then? Or—oh, I know! I could go hide it in the castle, and you and O'Chunks can go find it! I won't even tell you where it's at! What do you say?"

I glared at him. Of course, he didn't mean any of it. He was just making fun of me. Finally, I held out a hand to him, staring down at the floor. "Just give me the stupid book…" I quietly mumbled.

Dimentio shoved the book into my hand, ruffled my pigtails around, and hissed in my ear, "That's a good girl…" Straightening up, he looked around a bit, a finger on his chin, then said, "Speaking of stupid books… that reminds me, I must be off… Ciao!"

With a snap of fingers and distortion of air, the charming magician was gone.

I stared at the floor he had been hovering over, then narrowed my eyes at it. "Why's he gotta be such a meanie?"

O'Chunks gently patted the top of my head. "It's a'right, lass… I don' think he means anythin' by it…" He dropped his voice to a whisper, leaning in close to me. "If ya ask me, he don't seem to be a' right in da head…"

I giggled, watching O'Chunks twirl a finger around the side of his head. "Tell me about it…" I said. I brightened up a bit, realizing something. "Maybe that's it! Maybe Nastasia just doesn't like him because he's crazy!"

O'Chunks gave a loud, hearty laugh, and I immediately decided that I loved it. "Seems abou' right ta me, lass…"

I decided that we much have been right. Nastasia didn't seem like the type that would like crazy people very much—and maybe that's why she thought he was a liar. I know _I_ thought his craziness made him kind of creepy sometimes…

If only it didn't make him look so darn _cute…_


	12. Mimi's Diary Entry 2

_Dear Diary,_

_Golly! ZERO time for writing, huh, Diary? Sorry its ben so long! I've been living hear for five months now and this is only my sixth ent~~ writing?_

"_No diary til you train that monster k?" Golly. Stupid Nassy._

_Well, golly, I gotta get you caught up! Its ben awhile!_

_So, lots more trainin ben going on. I can spit my rubees off further than I could before now, and I got better at running on the cieling, and my penmanship (oh yah that was the word) is getting butifuler but Nassy says my spelling needs lots of work._

_I get to see the Count more often lately. This past week hes been runnin around the castle like crazy. I dunno what hes up to, but Nassy says its good. Dim~~tio's getting really excited about it. Id totally let you in on the secret, but nobody tells me anything._

_OHOHOHOHOHOHOH! I like exc~~~ ~~~~ those things. ANYWAY! DIMMY TAUGHT ME THE COOLEST THING EVAR!_

_He calls it hold on had to ask him how to spell it okay its called "Dimensional Flipping" look at that pretty penmanship! He wrote that for me hes so sweet. :) lookidrewasmiley!_

_Anyway—so here's how Dimensional Flipping works. …well, no wait, I dunno how it WORKS, but I know what it DOES. Basically, if I focus really really really really really really hard on a place that's somewhere else, then close my eyes and spin on my heels and let out a little magic, when I open my eyes tadah im there! Isn't that just super?_

_Diment~~ taught me that trick. That's what he does when he snaps his fingers and the air goes FWOOOOSH! He taught me how to spell that too. I like that word FWOOSH FWOOSH FWOOSH! Its not as fun to write more fun to say._

…_but APPARENTLY you cant SAY it because then Nassy comes up like all "Why are you yelling like that in the middle of the corridor?" and then you lose your diary for two hours and then Dimentio comes by just to laugh at you but then its okay because he steals it back for you because hes the best EVAR. :) smilies!_

_Ohgolly hold on Count's calling me_

_Well, never any rest for Count Bleck's number one super-duper minion of awesome, I guess. ;) I gotta go—Count's got work for me to do! I'll catch you up on everything else later!_

_~Mimi_


	13. Chapter 12

It was many months after my initial arrival at Castle Bleck when thing really began to pick up speed. I can pinpoint the exact day that the adventure truly began—it was on the day that I was wandering aimlessly about the castle, wondering why I had yet to locate the Count or Nastasia, and where they could have possibly gotten to. It was amid these wonderings that I heard a familiar, melodic voice drifting through the corridors in the form of my name.

It was Dimentio.

I fought back a grin as the jester teleported and appeared before me, biting back my enthusiasm and replacing it with a scowl and a snippy "What do you want, dummy?"

Dimentio seemed to be smiling wide enough for the both of us, so I held my scowl as he cheerily replied "I've been searching for you, Mimi, darling."

I folded my arms over my chest. "Uh-huh. Right. What for?"

The jester appeared to forget entirely what we were talking about, glancing about the halls as though he were expecting something to drop out of thin air and land on his head. "Have you seen the Count about lately?" Dimentio innocently wondered in a very up-to-something way.

"No. I wonder what he's up to today…" I said aloud.

If I could go back in time and do one thing and one thing alone, I would keep slapping myself in the face so I would never say things like that.

But then I would probably never have gotten mixed in with Dimentio.

"I could show you." He said almost immediately.

"…could you?" I asked. I was, admittedly, extremely curious as to what was going on, but I was beginning to question exactly why Dimentio was being so enthusiastic about it.

He continued smiling that ever-so-creepy grin as he nodded his head. "Oh, yes, of course! If you're interested, that is."

"Totally!" That. Things like _that _are exactly what deserve a time-travel-slap-in-the-face.

Impossible, though I naturally assumed it was, Dimentio smiled even wider—and I considered for a moment what he could have possibly done to his mask to make it able to hold all that smile together. "Wonderful!" He cried. Suddenly, he was behind me, his hands firmly grasping my shoulders.

"Now then…" he began. "…for me to show you our dear Count, we need to go somewhere else. This place is very secret, and you can never show _anyone _how to get there. Promise me this, and you're welcome any time you like. Understood?"

I nodded, my expression—I'm sure—giving away every bit of the confusion and curiosity that welled up inside me.

Dimentio beamed again, giving me a pat on the back. "Excellent! We'll be off then! You remember how to follow me after I teleport?"

My face scrunched up in concentration for a moment, but noticing that the jester was getting antsy, I quickly recalled the trick and nodded again.

With one final grin and an exclamation of delight I couldn't quite catch, Dimentio snapped his fingers and disappeared. I concentrated on the distorting air he left behind, then quickly shut my eyes, spun on my heels, and hoped I followed him.

At the jester's echoing applause, I allowed myself a sigh and a smile at a job well done. I slowly blinked open my eyes to take in my new surroundings, and was overcome with awe at the beauty, grace, and elegance that I found myself in.

We appeared to be in a very green room. The tiled floor and ceiling were a bright lime, while the walls were a darker shade that held wisps and swirls of pale green connecting starlight sparkles of white here and there. I longed to reach out and touch them, but they were simultaneously right beside me and forever away. The entire expanse of the room seemed to stretch infinitely in any direction.

I twirled around and around myself, beaming in pleasure. I immediately wanted to make a wardrobe full of dresses and shoes and ribbons and all sorts of clothing exactly like this, yet I realized in the very same moment that no pitiful scrap of fabric could ever come close to capturing this lovely room. I doubted even a photograph could fully contain it. It simply had to be _experienced_.

From the corner of my eye, I caught Dimentio grinning. "Do you like it?" He asked, sounding somewhat nervous.

"_Love_…" I declared in a romantic breath. "Where are we?"

"Dimension D." The jester proudly proclaimed, his nose tilting upwards ever so slightly as he floated up beside me. "A dimension entirely of my own creation."

"You _made _this?" I gasped out. "All by yourself?"

Dimentio's laughter filled the room. "Of course, my darling! And you're welcome whenever you please… just remember…" He placed a hand on my head and ruffled my pigtails before whispering "Our little secret…"

I giggled in giddy delight and nodded my head. I didn't plan on telling anyone anyway—but I'd be sure to take him up on his offer.

"Now then…" Dimentio began, standing before me with a wide, airy grin. "Would you care to see what the Count is up to this fine morning?"

I nodded again, nearly bouncing with excitement. "Yeah! Totally!"

Dimentio smirked and jerked his head as he floated off towards a random wall. I followed after him, and however far away it seemed, we stood less than a foot from the wall in a matter of seconds. Dimentio lifted a gloved hand, saying musically "Watch closely now…" as he reached out and rested his hand to the wall. With the slightest amount of effort, he gave a light, gentle push.

As he did so, the green swirls began to wriggle around in waves, and before my very eyes, the colors on the wall slowly began to ripple and fade into others, until eventually, a picture started to form.

As I stood gaping in wonder and Dimentio floated beside me beaming with pride at his marvelous magic, the picture cleared up, and began to move. Almost as though we were looking through a clear glass window into a dimension that stood just before us.

The dimension through the picture was a tall, white pedestal that stood towering over the marble flats beneath. The only thing connecting the two was ten thousand steps on a white marble staircase that stretched up from one to the other. At the top of the tower were carved white columns, and at the tower's very center, a wedding altar.

Floating above the altar… was Count Bleck.

"…what's the Count doing there?" I wondered, at last my astonishment being replaced by confusion and suspicion.

"This is part one of the plan I mentioned to you some time ago. The Count's work has only just begun." Dimentio explained, with a somewhat sinister grin.

My eyes turned in a curious longing for understanding to the wall and quickly searched the image it held for any further explanation.

To the left of the altar was quite a curious beast—it looked to be a dragon, but he had short, stocky limbs, a blunt snout like he had tripped and smashed his face on the ground, and he wore a turtle shell on his back that was covered in sharp spikes. To the altar's right was a young human princess, though she was the worst I had ever seen. Her dress was pure white and covered in awful flowers and lace to match the veil that covered her ratty golden hair. To make matters worse, for some reason, she was just picking herself up off the ground she appeared to have just been lying on.

I immediately decided that I hated her, for reasons I have always doubted were ever there to begin with.

As I watched, Nastasia suddenly teleported in and appeared beside the Count. She whispered something to him, to which the Count smiled, gave a nod of his head, and made a grand declaration that the dimensional barrier prevented from reaching my ears.

"_Bowser…_" Dimentio translated as the Count's mouth began to shape words at a louder—though still inaudible—volume. "_Ferocious and fearsome King of the Koopas… Do you take Peach to be your lawfully wedded wife 'til your games be over?_"

"…what does all that mean?" I whispered in awe.

"It means the couple of morons are stuck with each other for the rest of their miserable lives due to some idiotic notion called _love_… be quiet!" Dimentio harshly whispered back.

"Oh. Sorry." I said. I shut my mouth after that. Love and weddings didn't sound like very much fun anyway.

The Count now turned to Peach, and as he addressed her, Dimentio spoke on his behalf—"_Peach… Noble Princess, pure of heart… Do you take Bowser to be your lawfully wedded husband 'til your games be over?_"

The Princess' expression turned rather cross. She propped her hands on her hips and began to shriek at the Count. Dimentio did not offer a translation.

"What's going on?" I hesitantly whispered, somewhat afraid he would snap at me again.

He didn't, however, as he lightly waved me off. "She's demanding an explanation. I doubt either of the two are aware what's going—_Is it not obvious? This is your wedding, Princess!_" He interrupted himself with the Count's next words. Obviously, we were in agreement that whatever the Count had to say was significantly more important that the whining of a silly Princess.

Dimentio's eyes squinted as he struggled to read the others' lips. I had to wonder—if he was having difficulty deciphering their words, how much practice did he have with the Count's? I would think his would have been harder to read…

Curiously, for the next translation, Dimentio offered only—"Princess is confused, turtle is thrilled, Princess is being _rather _obnoxious—AHA!"

I jumped back a bit in alarm. I had seen that stunning flash of bright red light before.

The Princess immediately fell to the ground in the horrible strain of hypnosis, using all her might to fight against it and salvage what was left of her will power.

Dimentio grinned in delight. "Excellent—Nastasia seems to be handling things."

Nastasia only pushed her glasses back into place and said something to the Princess—in her usual cold, dry, hollow voice, I'm sure.

For about a second, I almost felt sorry for the poor Princess. I remembered the horrible pain my demon had gone through when the hypnosis struck her. I remembered her doubled over, clutching her aching head as she shrieked in agony.

My thoughts were interrupted by Dimentio flinching ever so slightly, growling to himself, "Can't you get a stronger grip on her pathetic mind than that? She's still resisting you…"

A second flash enveloped the Princess, and I cried out in shock, grabbing hold of Dimentio's arm. He gave me a very curious look—it was somewhat frightening, looking back—but he never protested.

I saw Nastasia bark another command, and then Dimentio smiled viciously and repeated her words—"_I do._"

Suddenly, the world before us shook violently, and I screamed out again and dove further behind Dimentio as yet another light filled the dimension. I did not understand how something could be so bright, and yet, so utterly black. The light, I noticed, erupted from the wedding altar, and from its core a melting ooze of black poured out and seeped down the altar until it covered the ground in thick puddles of goop.

I was nearly sick at the sight of it, but I swallowed my fear and continued to watch. Dimentio had enough to hold over my head—I wouldn't give him cowardliness on top of it all.

From the core of black—as the world continued to shake, and the turtle started to panic and flail about and the Princess lost the last of her strength and lay helpless on the ground—a shining object of complete and total darkness floated up into the air. It gave me cold chills just to be looking at a picture of it from another dimension, and ironically enough—I noticed—the thing held the shape of a heart.

More black ooze dripped from the heart as it rose up to float between the Count's hands. I didn't need Dimentio's translation to know he was laughing. "_All precisely as written in the Dark Prognosticus!_" I couldn't tell any longer if Dimentio was translating the Count's words, or speaking entirely of his own accord. "_Already it is unleashed! The Chaos Heart!"_

"…Chaos Heart…" I tried the name out for myself, and immediately felt a tingling sensation on my lips, as when one speaks aloud a horrid taboo. Simultaneously, I felt a throbbing ache deep within my chest—something that usually signified my demon longing to break free and destroy.

Oh right… I was supposed to be spying for her…

"_You needn't worry—that's the easy part! You simply go on living your new life as normally as possible. Anything your little mind stores away, I'll be able to see…"_

Somewhere in the back of my mind I wondered if she could see this now.

My thoughts were interrupted as Dimentio flinched violently again. "Who is that?" he breathed, his voice trembling.

I turned to the image again, and noticed a new addition to the party, though I was unsure where exactly he had come from. He was tall, but much shorter than the Count, and clothed in a green shirt and cap, denim overalls, and brown shoes. His mannerisms suggested fear, but he glared defiantly up at the Count as he snapped something inaudible to him.

The Count laughed as he spoke in return—something to which Dimentio seemed too shocked to offer any translation for. Nastasia seemed to collect her wits far quicker than the jester, for her hands rose in two fists as she said something furiously to the man—more than likely in defense of the Count. Dimentio's only reaction was another flinch—this one so violent it nearly knocked me back—and a cut off cry as the green man said something else and leapt into the air.

To our horrified surprise, the man leapt once, landed on the turtle's head, and jumped off of it before landing smack on the top of the Chaos Heart.

A blinding flash erupted from the Chaos Heart to interrupt mine and Dimentio's simultaneous cries of panic and surprise. I knew little more of the Chaos Heart than its name, and even I knew jumping on top of it was probably _not _a very smart thing to do.

I didn't catch what happened next—a bright flash had filled the entire dimension. Somewhere in the back of my mind, I heard Dimentio mumbling to himself. In desperation, it seemed, he flew towards the wall and slammed both hands against it. "Show me Count Bleck!" He commanded.

The world before us twirled and went by in a blur until our view was several thousand feet up in the air. There, the Count, Nastasia, and the Chaos Heart appeared. They began speaking to each other, and after several minutes, I found the courage to make my shaky voice squeak out "What're they saying?"

Dimentio still seemed to be in a trance as his eyes were glued to the image, but he quickly rasped out in a low voice "_…very well. As the Chaos Heart is secured this ragtag group now lacks use. _…new page of… dark… pr—oh, prophecies." I hardly noticed that he tripped up on Nastasia's words.

Suddenly, the Count threw his cape wide as he spread out his arms. The same book I'd seen him reading from many mornings now appeared in his hands. He opened the book and cried something aloud. Dimentio's eyes widened a fraction, then he hoarsely repeated—"_Open your mouth, darkness! Consume everything and destroy all worlds, as told in the prophecy!_"

As soon as the words were spoken, there was a final flash before all light became darkness as it was sucked up into the very core of the heart. Purple blackness—not entirely unlike the sky around Castle Bleck. I wondered if there was some connection.

And suddenly, the altar was falling apart. Piece by piece the tower crumbled to nothingness and fell away into the darkness. The crowd gathered below was sucked away one by one. The turtle fell from the tower into the dark mass as well. I saw the green man leap off the tower after a falling chunk carried the unconscious Princess with it. I never saw if he caught her or not.

Just as I remembered to panic, the Count and Nastasia teleported away from the scene—book and heart in tow.

Dimentio dragged his hand across the wall, wiping it clean of the image. He seemed exhausted.

"…Dimentio?" I hesitantly called.

When he turned to me, he was smiling again, cheery and care-free as usual. "Nothing to worry about, my dear… everything is just fine."

I cocked my head to the side. "…are _you _okay? You don't sound okay…"

Dimentio's smile twitched, but he nodded his head and said "Everything's fine" again.

I opened my mouth to say something else, but just as I did, Dimentio and I perked up in alarm, wearing the exact same expressions on our faces. Neither of us had ever been able to explain it, but somehow, we just knew.

The minions were being summoned.


	14. Chapter 13

Dimentio and I were, surprisingly the first two to arrive in the meeting hall. We had long ago taken our positions atop two of the many numerous platforms that hung suspended in mid-air around the room.

Dimentio floated cross-legged over his platform as he repeatedly snapped his fingers, charged up an orb of sparkling, unstable colors, dropped it down to the floor below and watched it explode. His smile twitched about a half an inch wider every time this happened. I, meanwhile, was being a tad more productive—I stood on my platform testing out my shape-shifting powers.

I had already tried out each of the wedding guests several times, and found I was able to transform into each of them save for the one that was wearing green. I made a mental note to get a better look at him later, and tested my abilities to transform into the other minions. First I became Nastasia, and clicked about on my heels for a bit, laughing aloud when Dimentio jumped in surprise when he turned around. After Nastasia, I became Dimentio, and found that—though I was not _nearly _as advanced as he was—our magic was very similar. His powers and abilities came almost naturally to me, as I already knew most of them myself.

Maybe it was just the monster talking, but I preferred to scurry about on my stilt legs anyway. Such being so, I made sure my feet were firmly on the floor before I turned from the jester into O'Chunks.

I noticed Dimentio was still staring down over the platform, awaiting the latest of his explosions to burst. I grinned O'Chunks' toothy, lopsided grin, and balled up the warrior's great fist—preparing eagerly to slam it into the back of the jester's head.

"Good morning, minions!" I only just managed to stop myself as Count Bleck floated into the room to his platform—book in hand—and Nastasia teleported in to stand on the platform just by his. "Count Bleck apologizes for the delay, but—"

_BOOM!_

…Dimentio's attack hit the ground.

The jester's gaze and my own shifted over to its general area, then Dimentio flashed the Count a nervous smile.

I could've sworn I saw the Count's eye twitch. "…for your sake, Dimentio, Count Bleck will ignore that…"

Dimentio laughed as he straightened up and allowed his feet to rest on his platform. "Ah ha ha ha… a thousand pardons, my dear Count…"

Count Bleck shook his head, smiling again. "No trouble at all, exclaimed Count Bleck! All is perfect!"

Dimentio's smile took a devious twist to it. "…oh?" He wondered innocently. "And why, might I inquire, is that?"

"Bleh heh heh! Bleck!" The Count laughed loudly so the haunting noise filled the chamber. "The Void has been ripped in the dimensional fabric!"

I blinked. _Dimensional Fabric? _I wondered to myself. _The Void? What's the Count on about now?_

The Count was smiling again, throwing his cape out as he paced (or, floated around, I guess) back and forth on his pedestal. "Yes, Count Bleck is pleased…" He went on. "All has gone as foretold in the Dark Prognosticus. Now it's just a matter of time before all worlds meet their demise! Bleck!"

I beamed ear to ear at hearing that. I remembered what Dimentio told me earlier about the Count's plans, and I couldn't help but blurt out my excitement. "Wow, that's just super, Count! Yeah, first you'll erase all these naughty worlds… and then you're gonna build a world without war and all that other icky stuff!"

"Yes, yes, no one likes the icky stuff…" Dimentio chimed in, leaning coolly on my platform. I turned to see him smiling stupidly at me—probably at the thought of my words in O'Chunks' voice. As I watched, though, the jester's eyes took a dark light to them, and he looked away as I scarcely caught—"Yesss… a perfect world… sounds magical… Ah ha ha. I can hardly stand the wait."

"Sorry I'm late!" A thundering roar suddenly interrupted. Without any other warning, O'Chunks suddenly came leaping down (probably from an opening from an above corridor that looked into the room) and landed with a rumbling shake on his podium just before mine. He must have noticed something amiss on his way down, however, because he stood there a moment, turned slowly around, and jumped terribly in surprise at the sight of me.

"What in blazin' bog rats…?" O'Chunks said as he stomped his great foot on the ground. "How'd I beat meself 'ere? What's goin' on?"

"Mimimimimimimimi!" I giggled to myself. "Oh, O'Chunks, you big silly! Didja oversleep or something?"

I shut my eyes, and in a crack and a poof of smoke, a second Count Bleck stood now atop my platform. I smiled sinisterly with the Count's jack-o-lantern face down at O'Chunks. "I guess its kinda hard to be on time, though, when you've got muscles instead of brains!" The Count's silky voice cooed.

O'Chunks' foot had another unfortunate encounter with the poor ground. "'EY!" He cried. "Yeh can't fool me wit' that crazy shape-shiftin' hooliganry! It's Mimi, innit? Show a little respect fer the Count! Yeh can't go a'borrowin' 'is face, lass!"

The Count, himself, seemed to have a different opinion. He smiled in a fiendish sort of way at me. "Bleh heh heh heh heh heh…" he laughed as his glowing red eye looked my new form over. "How delightful, Mimi. Almost as dapper… as Count Bleck!"

I was unsure whether or not the Count's form was capable of blushing, but I hoped it wasn't, because my face would've gone as red as my eye at that moment. But, before I knew it, another crack and a poof of smoke appeared. I was only mildly surprised, until I said "Aw, golly, thanks, Count! With you around its nothing but big smiles all the time! Hanging out with the Count! That's MY idea of a perfect world!" I breathed the words in a dreamy sigh, but was quickly shocked out of my delirious fantasies. The words had not been uttered by the Count's silky voice, but by a female voice almost as high and melodic as my own—though, of course, not nearly so beautiful. Glancing down in horror, I found my fears affirmed in the poofy pink gown and white gloves that now adorned my body. I was somehow that stupid Princess again.

But… how?

I glanced to Dimentio, silently asking for assistance, and found him smirking at me. After a moment, he said, "And here I thought Mimi's ideal world was a gem-filled pool with hunky lifeguards…"

Another crack sounded through the room and bright purple clouded my vision briefly. When I whirled on Dimentio, I snapped at him, but found my voice changed to yet another surprise. A gruff, masculine, loud, terrifying surprise. "Hey! Dimentio! Have you been reading my diary?" I straightened up (as best I could with the stupid shell of the Koopa King weighing me down) and glanced nervously around the room. "I mean… umm… never mind…" I choked out, hoping beyond all hope it looked like I was doing this on purpose.

Glancing to Dimentio yet again, I locked eyes with him and silently pleaded with him to do anything to help me.

The jester's smile twisted deviously and his eyes flared up with a strange light. "…_interesting_…" he said, so faintly I almost didn't catch it.

_You're on your own, Mimi… _I thought with a nervous gulp.

"Bleh heh heh heh heh heh…" The Count's echoing laughter sharply interrupted my thoughts. "Well, different strokes for different minions…" Bleck mused to himself. We each obediently turned from each other to face our leader as he continued. "After these rotten worlds are ended, Count Bleck will make all your dreams come true! But for that to happen… we must follow the instructions of the Dark Prognosticus."

"Yeah, about that…" Nastasia interrupted, flipping through some papers attached to her clipboard. I remembered that she kept notes on it while I was first training, but these pages seemed to be more recently added. "Just an FYI? I've got an urgent memo for your inbox…"

The Count turned slightly in her direction, but did not appear to be listening very intently. Her voice dropped a bit, and I had to somewhat strain these stupid hidden Koopa ears to hear what she said. "Apparently there's been some unapproved interdimensional activity lately. Yeah…" Nastasia lowered her clipboard and straightened her glasses. "I'm thinking it's the hero of prophecy. We're gonna need an action plan for this guy…"

For some reason the Count was very suddenly very alert. His eye went wide with shock and he whipped around to face his secretary. "A dimensional interloper! And possibly the hero? You are sure of it, Nastasia?"

Nastasia quickly nodded her head, looking slightly stunned at the sudden outburst. Count Bleck turned from her, his eyes now carefully on the floor. "Interesting, mused Count Bleck." he said to himself. Then, louder, "We must put an end to this nuisance…"

"Count Bleck!" O'Chunks suddenly exclaimed, immediately seizing both the Count and Nastasia's attention (really, the attention of everyone in the room). "Lemme get this right in me brain. The 'ero Nastasia's goin' on 'bout… He yer enemy?"

The Count nodded his head in the affirmative, but before he could open his mouth to reply, O'Chunks cut him off—"Then yeh gotta cut me loose on 'im! Yeh gotta! I'll give 'im a nice taste o' O'Chunks!"

Count Bleck paused for a moment, then curtly nodded his head to the warrior. "Very well, O'Chunks. I'll leave the hero-chunking to you. Do not fail Count Bleck."

O'Chunks beamed with pride. "Yeh can count on me, Count! I'll rain down like a fat thunderstorm! I swear it!" My, that sounded pleasant. Before he headed off to do just that, however, he turned to face his fellow minions. "Mimi! Dimentio! Yeh should tag along! Yeh could witness a proper chunkin'!" And with _that_, he leapt from the platform, and made an echoing _thud _as he hit the ground.

Dimentio leaned over slightly to watch him fall, a cool smile still gracing his lips. "Mmm… I do enjoy a good chunking…" He mused to himself. The jester straightened up, brushing imaginary dust from his poncho, as he said, "Well, then… I believe I'll head out as well…" He then snapped his fingers and disappeared in a distortion of the air.

I sank the great Koopa's fangs into my lip, wanting very badly to follow them and meet this hero. I wanted to ask Dimentio all the questions that were running through my mind. I wanted to figure out what _exactly _the Count's plot was and know what was going on.

But, terrified of turning into different people and things that I did not intend to turn into—or worse, exploding suddenly into my monster—I reluctantly decided to stay.

"Bleh heh heh heh heh…" I heard the Count laughing as I trudged away back to my room. "So, hero… you would defy Count Bleck? Then hurry, for your world's end draws near… Bleh heh heh heh! Bleck!"

* * *

"…but, I guess you already knew that, huh?" I asked timidly.

It was late that same evening. The Count and Nastasia were both busying themselves about the castle, and Dimentio and O'Chunks had yet to return—leaving a very lonesome me all by myself.

So with no chaotic antics or desperate questions keeping me up, I had fallen sound asleep earlier than usual that night.

I didn't expect to find the demon prowling around the white room again.

She turned over her shoulder and smiled as she cackled. _"But, of course, dear girl… if I relied on you for such information, I'd be getting myself nowhere fast, nay?"_

I looked down at the floor I was sitting on, trying to scrunch down to occupy a smaller space of her home. "Yeah… maybe…"

She cackled again, straightening up and spinning around to slither over to me with her long tail of tentacles. _"Don't you worry…" _She hissed in that way that always sent chills up my spine. _"I told you—I see everything you see… And, as a matter of fact, I've done plenty of my own research on your little friends. I know things they themselves may not know. Things __**you **__would __**never **__wish to uncover…"_

I bit my lip. It was bait. She was setting a trap, luring me in, and now standing there with that wicked, sadistic grin of hers, watching and waiting to see if I'd bite.

I did. "…what do you mean?"

She shrugged, slithering around me. _"Oh… nothing… I don't want to __**bore **__you…"_

She wanted me to bite harder. Come closer. Ensnare myself in her web of lies and get all tangled up. "…tell me… please…" I hesitantly choked.

I felt long clawed hands grasp my shoulders and cool lips whisper to me as she suddenly came up behind me. _"I wouldn't get my hopes up, if I were you… A perfect world? Happiness? Acceptance?" _She laughed. _"Just as I promised—nothing but a pack of filthy __**liars**__—"_

"You're wrong!" I shrieked immediately, tearing myself from her grasp and jumping to my feet. "I don't believe it!"

The demon chuckled to herself, curling her long tail beneath her to sit on the ground. _"Come now, dear girl, don't be this way… so keen to pick up the sweet, loving, innocence in everyone…" _She laughed loudly, then her face turned to a sinister glare as she growled, _"I've always __**hated **__that about you…"_

I gulped, taking a hesitant step back. "…but… they're _not _bad… they can't be…"

She smiled, extending one long claw and curling it up to beckon me towards her. I nervously trembled, but knew she could do far worse when I disobeyed, so I slowly stepped over to her.

The demon grinned her jack-o-lantern smile, wrapping her fingers around the collar of my dress to pull my face down close to hers. _"Let me tell you something, girl… I could make up any story I wish to tell. I could tell you a fantastic tale—spin you a beautiful web of lies. The sad thing is… I don't even have to. They're all __**perfectly **__horrid."_

I swallowed hard once more. My eyes were carefully on the expanse of white above us, and I prayed that my voice was not shaking with the fear it held. "…I still don't believe you… they're my friends… they're wonderful…"

The sinister, haunting cackle met my ears again, and I shuddered horribly. _"You'd like to think so, wouldn't you? Things are not always as they seem, dear girl… think of yourself… a sweet, innocent, beautiful child…" _She paused, roughly cupping the side of my face and forcing me to look down at her. She grinned horribly, narrowing her eyes at me, with a similar expression to a hunting cat. _"…yet nothing but a __**monster.**__"_

"No!" I shrieked, stumbling back from her. "I'm _not! _I'm _NOT!_"

"_Oh, but you __**are**__, dearest…" _She sprung up suddenly from the ground behind me, grabbing my shoulders and digging in sharp claws to hold me in place. _"Such a beautiful girl, such a horrid monster, and __**such **__an obedient __**slave**__…"_

I shivered again, dropping to my knees as she lowered her voice to the menacing hiss.  
"No…" I breathed. "It's not true… I'm not a monster… I'm not… I'm not…"

"_Don't be afraid of it, dear… embrace it! Then you'd be __**just like **__your little friends…" _She slithered away from me, cackling mercilessly.

I glanced up, blinking back tears as I wrapped my stick-like arms around myself. "Wh-what do you mean?"

She glanced at me over her shoulder, continuing to fluidly slink about the room. _"Precisely what I said, girl… Every one of those friends of yours is nothing but a bloodthirsty, soulless, evil, cunning, manipulative __**monster**__…"_

I shook my head, opening my mouth a few times, but never quite managing to choke out a noise.

An eager smile graced her lips as she lifted her eyebrows expectantly. _"Mm? Do you have some quarrel with that?"_

"…they're… not…" I gasped quietly.

Her eerie cackle filled the room, the demon slowly shaking her head at me. _"So you'd like to think… Take that dear Count of yours… what do you truly know of him?"_

I opened my mouth, then slowly shut it back. I wished I could say something. Anything. But the truth was—she was right. I _didn't _know really _anything _about him.

Her smile widened just enough to make my heart skip. _"…precisely."_

Suddenly, I was angry. "Well… so?" I demanded. "So I don't know anything… big deal! That doesn't make him a monster! He's nice to me! He's sweet, and charming, and clever, and wonderful—"

"—_and a cold, heartless demon, bent on the total, complete destruction of every world in existence." _The demon finished.

My eyes narrowed. "He's trying to _save _us from these icky worlds! They're _bad _worlds!"

"_Well, surely they can't __**all **__be bad…" _She mused.

"They are!" I insisted, rising to my feet. "Why else would the Count destroy them?"

"_Because __**HE'S **__bad, you ignorant pest!" _The demon screeched, shooting across the room suddenly to tower over me with a menacing snarl on her face. _"Don't you understand that! The inhabitants of your last world never even __**met **__you! They did you no harm! And look what became of them at __**your **__hands!"_

I stopped. My breath froze in my throat. I slowly shook my head back and forth in a horrible attempt to deny her claim, but she was right, of course. I'd killed every living being on the planet, and when I'd run out of people, I'd flattened forests and ripped apart the earth. Yet, they had been entirely innocent.

And I was the one _bad _thing actually _on _the planet.

…yet… Dimentio had come for _me_.

Slowly, the demon must have sensed the gears spinning in my mind, shifting around ideas and clinking thoughts together into one coherent realization. She gradually regained her smile, looking quite pleased with her work. _"Good… finally come to our senses, I see…"_

I said nothing, only staring at the ground in complete shock. It couldn't be true. The Count _wasn't _bad. I _knew _he wasn't. So, why did it make so much sense for him to _be _bad?

The demon cackled, roughly rubbing my head as she slithered past. _"Dwell on that a while, girl… I won't heap too much on you at once… I can't shatter your fragile mental stability while I still have use of you…"_

And with that, she left me.


	15. Chapter 14

Three days had passed since my encounter with the demon. Three days had passed since the royal wedding. Three days had passed since the Count's plans had begun.

And three days had passed since I had last seen Dimentio.

Neither the charming magician nor the ferocious warrior had returned since setting out to rid the Count of this thorn in his side. Surely the hero could not be this strong. Surely he could never best O'Chunks, and even if he could, he could not _possibly _defeat Dimentio.

And yet, three days later, here I still sat on my windowsill, exactly as nearly every waking moment of the past three days—leaned on my folded arms, blanket wrapped around my frail body, eyes weary with many a restless night carefully watching the front path. I yawned tiredly. Hours already I had been here. I spent every day out here. Sometimes even nights, when fear of the demon's warnings or horrible nightmares kept me awake. The sleep that had allowed me a conversation with my demon lasted four hours, tops. The next night I slept far less than two, even though I told Nastasia it was five. And this last night, I laid in my bed for endless hours before giving up entirely and taking up my usual post at the window.

Hours more I waited. Still, I saw nothing.

My heart sinking like an enormous weight into the pit of my stomach, I reluctantly shoved myself from the window and went to trudge gloomily through the castle. Every now and again, I would pass a creature, and attempt to ask it my friends' whereabouts, or what they knew of the master they served. At best, I received a blank stare and a chattering noise before said creature would scamper off in another direction. Sometimes, I would go to the kitchen and prepare a full meal before remembering I wasn't hungry and throwing it out. I stumbled into Nastasia's room several times, hoping she could keep me company or lift my spirits. She was never there.

So I chose a spot in the halls—not interested in going back to my room, and what may or may not lay within—and leaned against it, staring blankly at the ground in limbo between asleep and awake. It wore later and later into the night, and I had no idea how long I had been sitting there. The only thing I had to signify the passing of time was the echoing bells that rang throughout the castle, though I couldn't tell how many times now they had rung.

And suddenly, there was a shift in the torturous monotony.

Creatures around me suddenly bolted to attention and quickly scampered off into faraway shadows in hidden corridors. I gave them a puzzled expression, wondering what their trouble could be, and looked about for the cause of it.

Count Bleck was moving swiftly down the halls. He was entirely silent, but something seemed very not right about him. He held onto the brim of his hat much tighter than necessary, pulling it down so the shadows concealed his eyes from my view. He dashed right by me and was nearly down the hall in a matter of seconds. I decided he was upset, and wasn't going to bother him about it, but he suddenly stopped.

He paused in the middle of the hall for quite some time. He glanced quickly about himself, as if detecting a presence, and jumped slightly when he noticed me. "…Mimi." It wasn't a question. "…what are you doing up at this hour, demanded Count Bleck?"

I shrugged slightly, pulling my blanket tighter about myself. "I was waiting for O'Chunks and Dimmy."

He didn't notice the nickname. If he did, he let it slide. The Count stared blankly at me for a few more moments, almost as though he were still wondering who I was, until he finally said, "Go to bed, Mimi." With that, he turned so swiftly his cape flew in all directions and he dashed off again.

"I can't sleep!" I called after him. I wasn't yelling or arguing, only raising my voice to ensure he heard me. I was still very tired, and I would very much like to please the Count and myself with a good rest, but I'm afraid it simply wasn't possible at just that moment.

The Count stopped again, but he didn't turn to face me this time. "…then go lie in bed until you are tired. Goodnight, Mimi."

"Where's O'Chunks?" I asked instead, rising slowly to my wobbly feet and bracing myself on the wall. "And Dimentio?"

I wished he hadn't, but the Count looked me in the eye this time. He seemed very angry. "O'Chunks has returned only hours ago."

My lips twitched slightly, like they wanted to smile. "So that's it, then? They got the hero?"

"No." was the Count's only answer.

I felt my face fall and my heart sink. "…oh…" I said simply. "…what about Dimmy?"

The Count shook his head. "Count Bleck does not know Dimentio's whereabouts. He will return shortly."

He tried to float off again, and I stumbled unsteadily after him. "What if he's hurt?"

"Dimentio is perfectly capable of handling himself." Count Bleck said flatly. "No harm will come to him."

My lower lip stuck up a little of its own accord. "…what if, though?"

The Count glanced at me over his monocle. "Then, he will have to swallow his stubborn pride and drag himself back home so we may help him."

I nodded. He may not enjoy it, but at least Dimentio would be safe. That made me feel a little better.

"You should rest now, Mimi…" The Count said gently. "It's not wise for growing little girls to stay up all night."

I slowly shook my head. "No, its okay. I've been staying up most nights now."

"Really?" The Count asked, in the same tone an adult uses to trick a child into thinking they are interested in the subject of conversation. "And why is that, inquired Count Bleck?"

I shrugged. "I told you. I can't sleep."

"Can't sleep?" He went on in the same manner. "And what might the cause of that be?"

Another shrug on my part. "Well, I saw my demon again the other night… and since then… I've just been worried… and scared—but just a little… cause I'm not a scardy-cat."

"Of course not." He assured me with a nod of his head.

I nodded in agreement. "Right. Well, I was sleeping less and less… and I didn't get any sleep last night…"

As the words just managed to tumble out of my mouth, two silken-gloved hands suddenly grabbed my waist and hoisted me up. I squeaked in surprise, but was quickly over it as the Count snuggled me into his arms. "Well." He said firmly, floating off with me in tow. "We will have to do something about that."

* * *

Some amount of time I forgot how to count passed, and I was being carried into my room. The Count set me down and allowed me to change to a fresh nightgown, and I was almost surprised to see him still there when I returned. He lifted me up into my bed and gently laid me down before tucking the covers snuggly around me. I was already feeling more comfortable. There was something different about the way the Count did it.

Once I was in place, the Count rose from his position and tipped his hat before floating away. "Goodnight, Mimi." He called.

"Wait!" I said, bolting upright.

To my surprise, he instantly came back, gently laying me back in place and quieting me with soothing noises. "What is it, Mimi?" He asked in a very soft voice.

I blinked at him. "…I'm scared… I can't sleep… and I don't want to anyway…"

The Count shook his head at me. "You _must _sleep, Mimi… Don't you want to grow up tall and intelligent and lovely like Nastasia?"

I nodded my head. "Golly, yeah… but I'm scared."

He sighed. Not in an exasperated sort of way, like Nastasia did as she rubbed her forehead after talking to Dimentio for too long. This was more in a quiet way of saying "Okay, let's try something else." He looked all about my room for any source of inspiration, then he looked to me and gently asked, "Would a bedtime story help you?"

I blinked again, wrinkling my nose slightly. "…bedtime story?" I asked. "…what does that mean?"

My heart fluttered. I saw it again, gracing his lips—a lovely smile. Not the one he wore when reading his book or plotting demise or evilly laughing. The one that hinted to something hidden deep within. Something he hadn't felt in far too long. He smiled that wonderful smile and looked at me with a stunning glow in his eyes as he sat down on the side of my bed. "Do you mean to tell Count Bleck that you have never heard a bedtime story?"

I shook my head. "What is it?"

He laughed lightly. "A story one hears to soothe the mind when it is time for bed. They often involve grand adventures, wonderful people, mystical lands, and whatever you please."

I smiled—tiredly, but ecstatically all the same. "Will you tell me one, Count?"

The Count turned his eyes to the ceiling. "Alas, I'm afraid I don't recall any of the stories I was read as a child… Perhaps Nastasia has a storybook in the library…"

"Oh, c'mon, Count… please?" I begged, kicking my feet beneath the covers. "Just make one up! You can do it!"

He looked at me for a while, thinking carefully, then he slowly smiled only the slightest bit wider. "…perhaps… I do know… one tale…"

"Oh, yes! Please tell me, Count, please!" I called out, practically bouncing with excitement.

"Alright, alright!" The Count said, quieting me down. "Only if you are quiet and calm, and you _swear _to me you will fall asleep immediately after."

I nodded my head vigorously, eager to hear my first bedtime story. I believe I'd heard the demon tell them to me some nights (_"Once Upon a Time, there was a peaceful village full of happy people, until a little spider monster named Mimi tore apart the town and everyone died. The End."_) but she only did that to frighten me, so I don't believe that really counts.

The Count shifted his eyes to the ceiling, leaning back on his hands. "Let me think… _Ahem_…" He said as he cleared his throat. "Today, Mimi, I'm going to tell you a tale of love."

I squealed with excitement. "Perfect!" I declared.

He laughed at that, then quickly regained himself and searched for his starting point. "…Once Upon a Time…" he began. "There dwelled many nations in a faraway dimension, long since lost to the worlds. Two of these nations—the Fireflower Kingdom, and the Land of Darkness, hated each other. The humans that lived in the Fireflower villages feared their neighbors that dwelled up in the mountains shrouded in shadows, and those that belonged to the Tribe of Darkness looked down on the lowly, filthy beings that dwelled in the bright valleys below—"

"Well that's stupid." I interrupted.

The Count turned to face me, looking a bit puzzled. "…pardon?"

"That's stupid." I repeated. "What kind of a love story is it if everybody hates each other?"

He flashed me a smile. "Patience, Mimi. You'd be surprised where one can find love. Now, where was I? Ah, yes, yes, yes, I remember…

Among the nobles and the rulers of the Tribe of darkness, there was a man of high rank and great respect and influence throughout the land. His son was called Lord Blumiere, and all adored him. He was just like his father, but youthful, and full of wonderful ideas to prosper their nation when he took over his father's position. The trouble is… he vanished."

"Vanished?" I cried.

"Vanished." The Count affirmed with a nod of his head.

I gaped at him some more, waiting for him to continue. When he did not, I said, "…well? What happened to him?"

The Count pretended to be confused. "…to whom?"

"Count Bleck!" I whined.

He waved me off. "Ah, right, of course! Lord Blumiere! Well… what had happened, was that Blumiere—every evening—went for a stroll by his nation's border, which just so happened to be the cliffs that divided their land from that of the filthy humans. And one evening, a cliff crumbled from beneath him, he lost his balance, and he tumbled right down into the valley below."

"He did?" I gasped in shock. "Did he die?"

"Very nearly." The Count said with a slight nod. "Anyone else would have, so I don't want to see any of you taking a dive off a cliff."

I scrunched up my face again. "…well… how come he didn't die?"

The Count smiled. "He had help, of course."

"Well, who would help him?" I demanded, growing slightly frustrated.

He winked at me, and without answering my question, continued with his tale. "…Blumiere awoke some time later to the interior of a small cottage. The room that held him was warm, and the whole place seemed to be at perfect peace. He groaned as he fought to regain his senses and move about. And as he did so, he heard a voice. They said it was a voice soft and sweet, that is meant to never cry or moan, but only to whisper loving words and sing light, airy songs."

I smiled. "I want to hear it. It sounds beautiful."

The Count smiled at me. "…I'm sure it was… when Blumiere first heard the voice, it asked him _'You're awake at last?'_ as he slowly revived. Blumiere glanced about the room as best he could, and his nose wrinkled in disgust. _'Where… am I?' _he slowly asked her. _'Is this… a human's home?' _he made a horrible noise, as if he were repulsed by even lying in the stranger's bed.

Blumiere would not be caught dead near the humans, so he immediately struggled to free himself. He was stopped, however, by the kind tone giving a sharp command. _'Don't wiggle like that.' _She flatly told him as she made him lie back down. Once he was calm, she explained with a soft voice and a bashful blush, _'I found you at the cliff base. You took quite a fall.'_

Blumiere watched the strange girl as she worked around him and tended to his wounds, smiling sweetly and humming a foreign melody to herself. _'You're a human, correct?' _He inquired curiously. At the gentle nod of her head, Blumiere became quite confused, and questioned her further. _'I don't… repulse you? I am of the Tribe of Darkness…'_

Now, of course, humans never mingled with the Tribe of Darkness, and vice versa. They always either feared or despised each other. And yet, this girl gave him the most surprised look when he informed her of his origin, and she only said, _'Why would that matter? Anyone with a heart would not ignore an injured soul!'_"

"So, she helped him just to be nice?" I interrupted.

Count Bleck nodded at me. "Precisely. But, you see, Mimi, that was a concept entirely unheard of in Blumiere's world. His kind was a bloodthirsty, violent, spiteful, evil race. He had never known one to be kind for the sake of being kind-especially to one's own enemy.

But, most unfortunately for these two, an act like that does not come without consequence. Everything we do produces some effect. And this fateful day, a great tragedy was set into motion."

"Tragedy?" I cried. "What happened?"

The Count laughed lightly, rising from his place by my bed. "That, my dear Mimi… is a story for another night…" He bent over and lightly kissed my forehead, gently stroking my pigtails. "Sweet dreams…" He wished me.

"But, I wanna know what happened to Blumiere and the girl!" I insisted, though I snuggled into my covers anyway.

The Count shook his head, smiling lightly as he floated out of the room. "Another time, Mimi. Goodnight."

* * *

I decided I wasn't going to get anywhere, and I was feeling a bit tired now anyway, so I smiled and nodded in return. "G'night, County…"

I woke with a start from my blissful slumber. The room was still dark with night, and I couldn't see a thing. I felt a presence, and I tried to turn over. "…Count?" I mumbled tiredly into the darkness.

A pair of cold hands rested on my shoulders, gently persuading me to lie back down. "Shh… its alright, Mimi…" A musical voice whispered in my ear. "Go back to sleep…"

I laid back down immediately, helpless to the soothing tones. Several minutes passed, and the figure must have assumed me asleep, because I felt cold lips press to my temple for a fraction of a second, before I heard one final whisper-"Sweet dreams, dearest Mimi…"

And with a gentle _whoosh of air, the magician was gone._


	16. Mimi's Diary Entry 3

_Dear Diary_

_Oh Golly Diary the things you miss Ive got to stop forgetting where I hide you all the time_

_Soim getting better at handriting as Im sure youve noticed Ive been practicing lotsandlots but thats not what I came to tell ya I came to say COUNTY SENT ME ON A SUPER SPECIAL MISSION ALL BY MYSELF_

_Well relly no sorry Nassy sent me on the mission but shesaid it was under counts ordres and the count even gavemesomething to protect me_

_owait no i didnt tell you this yet so when Dimmy finally camehome the other night he wasnt lookin so good and ochunks got beat up really bad poor chunky anyawy the Count gave me soemthin special that was suppposed to protect me he siad its some of the power the heart uses to protect him and nobody can hurt me aslongasits on me_

_isnt he just the swwetest EVER_

_So anwyay Nassy send me on a super special mission she sen tme to some place called Merlees Mansion and told me to find the pure heart there and get rid of it she said thats the thing these heros are after and its what there gonna use to stop the Count and GOLLY i sure cant let that happen so I told Nasys dont worry ill be back with it before she can say Dimentio you dummy_

_well i got into the castle pretty alright and the heart wasnthat hard to find it was iwth Merlee duh where else whould it be so i chased her aroudn forever and i even went spider monstero n her and she STILL wouldnt hand it over and i finally lost her_

_but luckily, she wont be going anywhere soon_

_i tricked all her little guards and servants into thinking im her maid and sides that im head of the house while she was away on a trip_

_that was two weeks ago and these stupid headsare STILL doing whatever i say its so great_

_anyway ive got the whole place on lockdown Merlees still gotta be hiding around here somehwere cause the demon taught me the curse she sues to keep people in a village when the mondster comes it makes sure anyone gets in noone gets out_

_the thing that keeps it running is all the slaves ive got eveyoen that came her eto get there fortune told works for ME now pumping the generators as long as they keep the work up the curse should hold and TRUST ME theyre not going ANYWHERE for a LOOOOOOONG time_

_Oh but htats not even the bset part i heard from Dimmy taht the heros are headed right this way_

_im such a nasty spider ive spun then a good thick web and theyre about to walk right into it and get all kindsa tangled up itll be so great Diary Countys gonna be so proud of me_

_gotta go now i got so much work to do see ya later_

_~Mimi_


	17. Chapter 16

"Oh, Mimi, my darling, how positively _brilliant _you are!"

_That's right, Dimmy, keep the praise and adoration comin'…_ I thought with a smug smile I _really _wouldn't mind if he saw.

This was the life.

I was spending another day lounging deep within the intricate corridors of Merlee's Mansion. I'd chased the little witch down into the basement several weeks ago, so to make sure she couldn't get out, I set up base right before the entrance (which, don't worry, I was smart enough to seal off).

"Base" happened to be the bank where I kept all Merlee's little guests neck-deep in debt and working around the clock like my personal little monkey slaves. It was here that I spent most afternoons—lounging behind my desk, counting up my rubees, and using my computer to check the debt balances, lock on the cameras around the mansion to spy on my slaves, and my personal favorite, switch on the webcam and talk to Dimentio.

Judging by the darkness behind him, I concluded that Dimentio was in his room at the Castle, and with no one else to talk to, he'd called me up. I'd just gotten through telling him my fabulous plan, and he was absolutely thrilled with it.

Not that I was surprised.

I giggled as he continued to shower me with praise and admiration. "Golly, thanks, Dimmy! But, I dunno… it sounds kinda complicated…" I said, putting on my best pout and pretending I was very worried about the matter. "…are you sure I'll be able to pull it off?"

Dimentio laughed lightly, winking one eye at me. "Of course, darling! I can't think of a single soul better suited to the job! Those pathetic heroes will be bowing at your feet, begging for mercy like beaten chompsin no time at all!"

I giggled again, turning away to hide the blush that flooded my cheeks. "Oh, Dimmy—you sure know how to charm a girl, doncha?"

He gave me another wink, this one with a mysterious light in his eye. "Only those few I wish to charm, I assure you—and you _are _one of those lucky few."

Now I couldn't _stop _giggling. He was just so sweet to me all the time. He always said this kind of stuff to me. And I couldn't ever do anything but sit there and blush and giggle and absolutely fall for him—just like he wanted me to. That stupid jester had me coiled right around his finger.

Not that I was complaining, of course…

_Beep—Beep—Beep—Beep—Beep—Beep—Beep_

I snapped out of the daze Dimentio had me in, bolting upright in my chair and scrambling for the mouse on the desk. I minimized Dimentio's screen and clicked through a few others before I found the source of the noise—one of many grids displaying the cameras in and around the Mansion.

One was flashing bright red in the upper-right corner.

Its image was nothing special—just a couple of new suckers (and by suckers, I mean soon-to-be-slaves) walking cautiously and curiously up the front steps to see what laid inside the mysterious manor.

"…Mimi?" Dimentio's voice came from off-screen. "…is everything alright?"

"Uh, yeah…" I called, knowing he could still see me, even though I was still searching the camera image. "Somethin' just popped up on the camera. There's two humans coming to the Mansion."

"Humans?" Dimentio said immediately. "Who are they? What do they look like?"

"Golly, calm down, Dimmy!" I snapped, giving my computer a good whack. "I don't know! Lessee…" I squinted my eyes, leaning in close as I dragged the little box around to make it bigger. "Um, one of them's an ugly man… he's wearing blue overalls—which are _so _out of style—and a red hat—"

"Does he have a mustache?" Dimentio demanded.

I looked closer, but I had to wait until the short little man turned his face more towards the camera. "…yeah, he does."

"That's Mario—he's the first of the four heroes of prophecy." Dimentio declared in suddenly much more serious voice. "But, who is with him?"

I didn't even have to look close. I knew that frilly pink dress and awful, ratty hair anywhere. "It's that Princess from the wedding!"

"So he's found her, then…" Dimentio said quietly. "Not a problem, though, I'm sure. You'll take good care of them, won't you Mimi? Be a good host and show them a good time…"

I smiled, jumping out of my chair. With a quick spin, I was wearing the maid's dress I'd used to take over the Mansion. I pulled up Dimentio's box on the screen one last time, quickly adjusting the little bows and frills on the dress. "How do I look?" I cooed, striking a pose and drooping my eyelids _just _right.

Dimentio smiled deviously. "Absolutely _perfect_, my dear… those pathetic heroes won't know _what _hit them."

* * *

_Just a few more seconds_… I thought to myself. It couldn't take them much longer to get past the guard dogs out front.

"_RARCK! RARCK!" _I shifted my annoyed glare over to the monstrous beast I had chained to the doors leading down to my slave rooms. He barked and lunged at me some more, choking on his chain. Merlee had trained them to throw out any unwanted trespassers. Needless to say, they'd been out for me since before I set foot in the stupid mansion.

I stuck out my tongue at the stupid beast, scooting a bit further out of its path. Even though I was already all the way down the hall from it. Shut up.

And suddenly, the door swung open. I jumped away from the wall in shock, primping myself up immediately and putting on my brightest eyes and sweetest smile before bouncing up to greet my guests. The two heroes—as expected.

"Well, hi there!" I chirped, seizing their immediate attention. I gave my best curtsey, and continued with a bright, "Big welcome! Welcome to Merlee's Mansion!"

The stupid fatty raised an eyebrow at me, but that dopey Princess (to my advantage) was instantly smitten. "Oh! Isn't she just the sweetest thing, Mario?" She pranced right up to me with an adoring look in her eyes. "What's your name, sweetheart?"

I giggled and blushed a bit to lure her in. "I'm Lady Merlee's handmaid. My name's Mimi! But, you can call me Mimikins if you want!"

"_That's right, girl…" _A sinister voice cooed. I had to struggle to suppress a tremble and keep that goofy smile plastered on my face. _"Make them feel safe… lure them in… once they're all tangled up in your lovely web of lies—SNAP!"_

I hope they didn't notice me flinch.

They must not have—they were busy exchanging a brief hushed whisper. They turned back to me with the sweet, patronizing look most little children got from adults. "Mimi—do you-ah know where Merlee is?" Mario—I presume—asked me gently.

"Oh, you want to see Lady Merlee? Well, how _super _for you!" I squeeled, hoping my voice was _dripping _with sarcasm. "Well, Lady Merlee is on the second floor in the farthest room. Just head up there whenever you're ready!"

"Alright, thank you, Mimikins!" The Princess gushed, scampering off after Mario.

I smiled deviously, then whipped about to catch their attention. "Oh, hey, but listen!" As the two stopped to turn back around, I dropped the cutesy act—flying off the handle in screaming rage. "_DON'T YOU DARE GO INTO ANY OTHER ROOMS BY ACCIDENT, OR ELSE!_"

And just as the shock managed to melt into their expressions, I smiled brightly, chirped, "Enjoy your visit, okay?" and scampered on down the hall to wait.

The two exchanged a rather unnerved glance, then wisely decided to ignore me and turned around to continue up the stairs to the second floor. I couldn't help but sigh in relief at their absence.

"What are you _doing?_" I hissed under my breath, crossing my eyes at my forehead. "You said you were going to leave me alone!"

"_Sorry, girl, I simply could __**not **__resist." _The demon's voice cooed from the innermost parts of my mind.

I buried my face in my hands. "Look, could you—" A pair of terrified shrieks tore my attention to the second floor briefly. Good, the spikes in the ceiling would impale them in just a few moments. Back to my demon. "Could you lay off, _please? _Everything's going so great! I'm _perfect!_"

"_Perfect?" _The demon cackled harshly. _"Oh, __**that **__I __**seriously **__doubt…"_

I sighed heavily. "Well, whatever. So, I'm not. But, I'm _happy_. I'm doing well, and I feel proud of myself for once. I don't want you to be here to to—"

I had to shut up real quick. The rapid _click click click _of heels on hard ground alerted me to the heroes return (my ears were well-trained to it by Nastasia). I smiled brightly and forced myself to think about anything but the demon coiled in the back of my throbbing head. It never had been big enough for the two of us.

The two doofuses came rushing down the stairs as fast as they could. They stopped right in front of me, both of them gasping for breath.

"Mimi!" The Princess shrieked, yanking gold hair out of her face. "What is the—"

Mario was quick to clamp a gloved hand over her mouth. "Mimi, ah… Merlee wasn't in-ah there."

Good Grambi, was it ever hard to _not _drop to the ground and burst out laughing at the top of my lungs. I had to keep reminding myself that it would _ruin _my dress. So, I choked back the laughter and put on an innocent little pout. "She wasn't? Oh, golly, Mimi! You deserve a good spanking! Hm…" I put my hand on my hip, tapping at my chin with my other hand. "…though… I was _sure _Lady Merlee was in that room… are you _sure _you checked _everywhere?_"

The Princess gaped at me with wide eyes just _blazing _with fury. "…the room was _empty_, Mimi. All that's there is a ceiling full of _spikes_."

I waved her off. "Oh, that—don't worry about it, Lady Merlee just likes to set traps for the thieves that come in to steal her treasures. If you're good, they won't hurt you. I'm _positive _Lady Merlee is _totally _in that room."

Once more, the heroes shifted their wary gazes to one another. Neither seemed very fond of the idea, but they trudged up the stairs anyway. I waited until they were gone, then dropped the goofy innocent look in favor of a dark scowl. "Yeah, ya gotta check those spikes _real close…_" I mumbled.

"And as for _you_." I snapped at my demon, reverting back to our original conversation. "I don't want you to totally screw everything up!"

"_Screwing everything…?" _The demon began, seething with rage. _"You selfish little brat! I am only trying to __**help **__you!"_

"You're just going to scare them away!" I countered, my voice much bolder than I actually felt. "I need to trap them here!"

"_Oh, relax, dear girl… you've dwelt under my control for long enough to know that I __**live **__to destroy lives…" _The demon hissed, and I didn't even need to look at her to envision the sadistic grin that warped her face. _"…do you __**doubt **__that I possess the ability to ensnare these filthy humans and bring them to their doom?"_

I was silent for a moment. "…I guess not… but, I'd still rather do it without your help."

The demon heaved an exasperated sigh. _"Alright, fine—you want to screw this beautiful plan up like you ruin __**everything **__you __**touch**__, be. my. guest."_

With that, she was silent.

Just in time to hear the footsteps rushing back through the halls and down the stairs to bring the stupid heroes right back to me. I plastered a silly grin back on my face and pranced over to them. "Hi there! Did you find Lady Merlee yet?"

They didn't seem to be quite as flustered this time around, through they were still clearly trying to catch their breath. "No, Mimi…" The Princess sighed, obviously fighting to maintain the sweet, loving tone in her voice. "…I don't believe Merlee is _in _that room. Is there anywhere else she could be?"

"Hm…" I pretended to think, looking very confused at their lack of success. "…Golly, I'm not sure… Oh!" I slapped myself on the forehead. "Mimi, you big silly! It must be the _closest _room on the second floor, not the _farthest!_"

"Uh-huh." Peach said with a smile. "Well, we'll go up and che—" She paused suddenly, widening her eyes and tilting her head towards Mario as he whispered something in her ear, jerking his head slightly towards the back of the Mansion. She then smiled brightly to me and bowed her head slightly. "Thank you for your help, Mimi. We'll go look for her again."

With that, the two left me.

"Stupid dummies." I mumbled to myself. "What's it take to kill 'em, huh?"

"_Perhaps if you'd let __**me **__have a chance…" _The demon began with a sinister hiss.

"No." I snapped, forcing my voice to remain low, as the other two were still in the hall. "I'm doing this _myself_."

The demon cackled darkly. _"If you insist, girl… but, don't come crying to me when you __**fail**__… as usual…"_

I huffed and crossed my arms over my chest. "Well, tough luck to you, 'cause _newsflash—_I'm not _gonna_."

"_Oh no?" _The demon seethed.

"No." I firmly declared. "Everything's going perfectly. And County's go—"

"_Girl!" _The demon suddenly shrieked.

"No, listen to me!" I snapped back. I was so sick and tired of listening to her. "County's gonna be _proud _of me! Because I'm gonna do the best job _ever!_"

"_Girl, listen—" _The tried again.

"I don't wanna hear it!" I shot back.

The demon's sharp growl shut me up real quick. _"Mimi, look out!"_

I whipped around towards the back end of the hall—the direction the heroes had gone in. They hadn't gone to the top floor like they said. They were in the bottom hall. Right by the door to my slave chambers.

I gasped aloud. Mario was distracting the giant beast, who seemed to be slowly stumbling out of a daze. Mario tossed something to the Princess as the beast lunged his way, and she scurried quickly over to the lock keeping the door shut.

Which also happened to be the lock keeping that monster chained to the wall.

…which the Princess happened to be holding the key to.

"NO!" I cried. Over the heroes' frantic endeavors and the frantic barking and growling of the beast, my shriek went unheard. And before I could take a single step forward, the key was in the lock, the lock hit the ground, and the chain went _pop pop pop _right into thin air until it was gone.

The beast paused mid-attack, sensing something was amiss. His great head turned and—upon noting the absence of restriction—he turned straight towards me.

I gasped, eyes widening in fear, taking a shaking step back.

Just as I predicted—three sharp barks and the beast bounded right over Mario's head and headed straight for me.

"AAAAIIIIEEEE!" I shrieked at the top of my lungs, dashing off down the halls as fast as my spindly little legs could carry me. I turned this way and that, tried every trick I knew, and the stupid monster was still right on my heels.

I only vaguely noticed Mario and the Princess slip inside the doors.

Stupid heads.

Meanwhile, I was scrambling to get to the second floor and—slowly but surely—the stupid thing was still coming after me.

"BAD! BAD STUPID MONSTER-THING!" I shrieked, crawling backwards and kicking my feet at him. "GET AWAY FROM ME!"

"_RARCK! RARCK!" _was the only response I got.

"STUPID DOOFUS-HEAD!" I screamed. The insult didn't seem to phase it. I waved my hand spastically in the opposite direction. "SHOO! SHOO! GET AWAY FROM ME! GO CHEW ON YOUR BUTT OR SOMETHING!"

The beast growled, lunging up a few steps all at once. _"RARCK! RARCK RARCK RARCK!" _its horrible voice thundered.

"STOPPIT!" I cried, still trying to wave him off. "GO AWAY! _GO AWAY!_"

"_RA—AWR Awr awr awr awr…" _The bark cut off into a cry of pain, which trailed away into a miserable whimper. It shook its head fiercely back and forth, trying in vain to dislodge the sparkling red gem that suddenly stuck in its great head.

"_YEAH? THAT HURT, STUPID?_" My voice shrieked as I rose to my feet. "_YOU SHOULD'VE __**LISTENED **__TO ME! NOW GET AWAY!_" I tossed a few more rubees, each sticking themselves deep into the beast's head.

The monster began backing down the stairs, shaking its head hard enough to splatter the blood around, but not hard enough to shake the rubees loose. "_I SAID LEAVE ME ALONE! YOU HORRIBLE—EVIL—STUPID—__**BEAST!**_"

With each shrieking word, I threw more and more rubees, each one hitting their mark as I boldly stepped closer to the cowering beast. Eventually, its survival instincts overpowered its oath to its master, and the beast turned tail and scampered off into some other part of the mansion.

My hands dropped to my sides, still trembling horribly. I simply stared with wide, scared eyes at what I had just witnessed. "…I… I don't…" I slowly choked.

"_I know, I know…" _The demon's voice cooed. _"I swore I wouldn't possess you again. And I __**won't**__… unless you need me—which, at that moment, you did."_

I gulped nervously. "…you… pro… protected… me?" I rasped out, trying _very _hard to convince myself that I was not in danger.

The demon sneered. _"Don't flatter yourself. Do you honestly think I would allow that monster to eat you alive __**while I still dwell in your mind?"**_

I slowly shook my head. "…no… you're not me… I'm not… not you…"

"_We __**are **__one and the same, girl." _The demon snapped irritably. _"The sooner you accept that, the better for both of us. I've bound us together right down to your wretched heart. There's no escaping me."_

I blinked back tears in my eyes. I couldn't think of anything to say to that.

"…_now, now, girl, don't be so upset… This is __**excellent **__for you! I just saved your life, did I not? I will not let any harm come to my little puppet…" _The demon gently cooed.

I bit hard into my lip, nodding my head with fierce determination. I would _not _let her break me. "Okay, then. Thank you for protecting me."

My head went very silent for a very long time. _"…ah… you are… welcome… I suppose…" _She slowly said, seeming a bit stunned. _"…we ought to get going, girl… those heroes are descending further into your trap… you must be ready to strike…"_

"Right." I said with a curt nod. I brushed the dust from my skirt, adjusted my headpiece, fluffed my pigtails, and descended the stairs with grace and elegance. "But, I can handle this… okay?"

"…_I don't know, girl…" _The demon said after a moment. _"Since gaining control, you've gone through quite a few experiences that weren't exactly… pleasant on my part."_

I took a deep breath. "…I'm sorry for that." I said, trying to be as sincere as possible. "I'll try to protect you. I can handle this. Just let me do this on my own."

"…_I __**will **__step in whenever I deem necessary." _The demon curtly informed me. _"…otherwise… fine… I see no harm in letting you slowly bring your new life to ruin… such may even work to my advantage."_

I nodded once. "Fine. Deal."


	18. Chapter 17

"How did it go?" Dimentio's voice demanded the moment I walked into my base. I jumped in surprise—forgetting that I had left the computer turned on—then growled as I irritably stormed over to the desk.

"Fine." I barked, running thin hands violently through my hair.

Dimentio gave me an odd look. "Fine? What does that mean? Have you captured them or not?"

The jester jumped back in shock as my hand punched the screen. "I'M WORKING ON IT, OKAY?" I shrieked.

Dimentio seemed to calm down slightly, still giving me that look. "…Mimi, darling, is everything alright?"

"FINE!" I screamed again. "Just freaking _peachy!_ Why wouldn't it be?"

I whipped out a few rubees, throwing them around the room and striking anything that caught my eye, shrieking out in rage with every hit. I was stopped only by icy hands clasping around mine.

"LET ME GO!" I screamed.

"Mimi, calm yourself, darling…" Dimentio said gently. I was too mad to even register that he was here in person, rather than on my computer screen. "Put all that wonderful violence and hatred to some _good _use."

"I'M _TRYING!_" I shrieked, finally succeeding in kicking him off. I whipped around to face him, fury in my eyes. "I'm gonna get 'em, okay? Mind your own business!"

Dimentio blinked. He seemed rather stunned. "Mimi, dearest, what's gotten _into _you?"

I was breathing heavily now, still blazing with rage. "…my demon." I breathed at last. "She's back. She won't leave me alone. Nassy said she got RID of her! She said she wouldn't _ever _come back!"

"I know, I know, dear…" Dimentio soothed, gently petting my hair. "We'll think of something, I promise… is she hurting you?"

I fiercely shook my head. "No. She said she wouldn't."

Dimentio slowly nodded his head. "I see. Well, if you are so certain, why have you worked yourself into such a violent rage?"

I opened my mouth to reply, but was cut off by a series of frantic beeping coming from my computer. I scurried over and checked the security cameras. The heroes were on their way down into my chambers. They had two additions to their crew I hadn't noticed before. Mario pulled them both out of his hat to clear a path down to where I was. It was a rainbow-colored butterfly and a blue bomb—both constructed of shapes.

I huffed, sweeping my pigtails back into order. I strode gracefully out of the room, brushing right past Dimentio. "I gotta go." I said sharply, making a bee-line for the door.

"Mimi, wait…" Dimentio softly called.

I paused at the door, only sparing him a glance over my shoulder in response.

The jester was silent before he spoke. "…be careful." he warned.

I nodded, refusing to turn around. "I will." I curtly assured him.

* * *

_CRASH!_

I sighed heavily as I silently shut the door behind me, creeping silently down the corridor. Great, some fiasco down the hall. Exactly what I needed.

I could see them—only a few feet from the shadows I stood in. Mario, the Princess, the butterfly, and the bomb. All standing beneath a yellow ? block and staring in horror at the shattered remains of the vase that had previously sat atop it.

My most common trick in the mansion.

_Showtime_. I thought, ghosting a hand over my face. Immediately, I sprinted into the room with a horrified shriek. "No! _NO! _What have you doofuses _done? _That was my most favoritest vase and you _BROKE _it!"

The Princess gasped in shock as I frightened them all back a few steps, dropping down to my knees and scooping up a few of the shattered remains like I was really upset about the ordeal. "Oh, Mimi…" I heard the whiney voice sigh. "We're terribly sorry—we didn't mean to."

"It was an accident." The butterfly chimed in, and I was a little surprised that she could talk. "Mario was just trying to get the item in the block. He didn't see the vase sitting on top."

I glared up at them, and the Princess flinched behind Mario almost fearfully. Rising to my feet with shaking hands clenched into tight fists, I seethed, "You _doofuses _broke. my. vase. That thing cost me ONE MILLION RUBEES!" I shrieked.

All three gave an audible gasp. "Yeah, that's right!" I barked, marching closer to them. "So, go on, stupid-heads! Pay up!"

Mario and the Princess exchanged a rather nervous glance, before looking back at me apologetically. "Uh… Mimi…" The butterfly gently broke the silence. "Oh, dear… I don't believe Mario carries that particular currency. I don't suppose they would be anything like coins?"

My face scrunched into a twisted fury. Of course, what did I care for the stupid piece of plastic? It was nothing but a trick I used to lure a few suckers into working for me. "Coins? _Coins!_" I shrieked. "I _spit _on your coins, you peasants!"

The Princess shrunk back a bit in fear. "Oh, Mimi, I'm sorry!"

I ignored her, the heat of my fury focused on the first hero—hopefully, the leader. "So, what are you saying, huh? You don't have any rubees at all?"

The heroes gave me a frightened look, shaking their heads to inform me—as expected—they had never even heard of such a currency, much less happened to posses one million of them.

I stomped my little foot on the ground, shrieking in rage. "Well I guess you'll just have to _work _it off, huh? Until you can pay back that debt, _I own you!_"

I turned smartly on my heels, stormed off a few feet, and took a deep breath to compose myself. I then turned just slightly to give the horrified group a devious glare. "So, the bank is right inside that door." I said, gesturing to the door I had entered from. "You can go there to check your debt balance and make payments. For now—ENJOY LABOR!"

And that being said, I stormed away.

* * *

"What in all the dimensions was _that _about?" Dimentio demanded as soon as I stepped back into the room.

I only shoved him aside with a sharp "Move!" as I rushed over to my desk. I smacked the computer to life, scrambling for the mouse and clicking rapidly through the security monitors until I found the heroes.

They stood exactly where I had left them, speaking to one another and still looking quite shaken and _extremely _confused.

"Come on… come on, stupid-heads… just buy it…" I mumbled under my breath, as if they could hear me.

"_There are __**easier **__ways to—" _I fiercely shook my head to clear out the unwanted thought. Dimentio gave me a rather odd look, but at least it shut my demon up.

Finally, the heroes bought it. They leapt up on top of the block and went off to search for the workrooms.

"YES!" I cried in victory, leaping up and throwing my fist in the air. "WHAT NOW, STUPID-HEADS? THOUGHT YOU COULD GET AWAY FROM ME, HUH? THOUGHT YOU WERE SO CLEVER LETTING THAT STUPID MONSTER OFF ITS LEASH! BUT—_LOOK OUT! _MIMIKINS IS JUST TOO _CLEVER _FOR YOU BUNCH OF _DOOFUSES!_"

I leaned on the desk, beaming at the computer screen and gasping for breath. Recalling suddenly that I was not alone, I turned to flash Dimentio a wide grin with just a hint of blush. "…I'm really excited." I said.

Dimentio smiled nervously, giving me an odd look. He seemed to do that a lot. "I can see that. Perhaps, now that the heroes are secured, you may fancy taking a break? You seem to have overworked yourself…"

I vigorously shook my head. "Are you kidding? I'm just getting started! This is so totally great!"

I started to run around the desk and out into the Mansion, but Dimentio caught me before I could even get by him. "Mimi, darling, I'm afraid I must insist that you rest up for a bit. These are not tasks little girls should handle without taking special care."

I made a face. "Are you saying you think I can't handle it? Golly, Dimentio, I thought you were on _my _side!" I shoved him off, leaping gracefully to the ground and brushing the dust from my maid skirt. "And _may _I remind you—you and O'Chunks went after the heroes together! And neither of you got 'em! So, if anyone, _I'd _be concerned about _you!_"

Dimentio blinked—obviously taken aback by the comment—but he smiled at me anyway with that usual charming, painted grin. "Well, Mimi… I will admit, you _do _have a point… You have been the only one thus far to at least _stall _the heroes in their endeavors. Perhaps I have misjudged you."

I crossed my arms over my chest, turning from him with my nose in the air and a smug grin on my lips. "Of course I am! I'm the _best_, after all! That's why Nassy sent me on this mission—she just _knew _I was perfect for the job."

"Don't count your Noozes before they hatch, dearest Mimi…" Dimentio said with a smirk.

I blinked. "…what?" I barked, whipping about to face the strange jester.

He continued to smile and gave me a simple shrug. "An age-old saying that simply means do not count on something to happen before it actually does."

I frowned, hands on my hips. "…too bad it already _has _happened."

The jester shook his head as he turned and left me. "You have secured them for the time being. But, these heroes are stronger than you might think. Do not misjudge them—and do not make the mistake of presuming victory yours."

* * *

"So… freakin'… bored…"

The bank room was absolutely silent today. No one had come in to make a payment, but the power levels were fluctuating at the normal levels, so everyone was still working.

I laid my chin on the desk, staring hard at the computer monitor before me. It was a little infuriating that Mario and the Princess had already stumbled their way into the VIP generator room, but they were still making rather slow progress, and I could see the Void growing steadily larger as it ripped through the sky when I looked out my window, so I wasn't worried.

Luckily, with the slow, impossible nature of their debt and work, they were completely trapped in this mansion, along with every other poor soul. Unluckily, I had to stay here and watch to make sure they didn't up and do anything to bust out.

Several days now I had spent alone in this room, staring at the monitor and watching the two heroes bash their heads on blocks, until they had tired of that game and moved on to running circles in hamster wheels.

The only good thing that had come out of this was my new dress—navy blue, with a crisp, white collar and a big red bow tie.

With nothing better to do, I had rushed down to explore the infinite basement numerous times in hopes of locating Merlee's hiding spot. If I could just find the Pure Heart and get it out, there would be no need to trap the heroes any longer, and I could just leave.

Ha. I wish.

Finally, two days ago, the demon had grown annoyed with me running myself ragged, exhausting my body and giving us splitting headaches, and she had forbidden me to enter the basement again. I was too tired to argue.

I folded my arms beneath my head, and was met with the feeling of something impacting with the side of my skull. I hardly flinched. "What?" I demanded.

"_Don't you dare sleep, girl! Those two can't be trusted!" _The demon hissed. She was always so paranoid nowadays, and I wasn't quite sure why. _"Keep your eyes on them!"_

"I'm just gonna take a quick nap…" I mumbled, already nodding off. "I'll be up in like, twenty minutes."

"_Are you listening to me at all?" _She barked. _"They can't be trusted, I tell you! They'll escape!"_

I yawned. "How are they gonna get out, huh? We've got spells and traps set all over the place. The only way out of _here _is by me—and even _if _they got by, it only takes them deeper down into the mansion!"

"_I swear, girl, if you ruin this, you'll regret it!"_ She assured me.

"Yeah, yeah…" I said, curling up tighter. I'd heard this threat before. Somehow, I wasn't so phased by it now.

She screamed at me again. I think I was already sleeping, because I couldn't make out anything but the general idea of her thoughts and the headache that came with a being located within one's mind raising their voice to very high volumes. She went on and on as I continued to sleep, and while I was fortunate enough to avoid a face-to-face encounter, her voice did penetrate the dreamless blankness of my sleep.

The demon forced a few ideas to the surface, but none that seemed important enough to wake up for, so I allowed twenty minutes to turn to two hours, then two hours to the rest of the afternoon. Still, she seemed to find it necessary to update me on everything that was happening around my sleeping form. People came in to drop off rubees they'd earned, slave-drivers came to either update me with problems or complain about work.

When we presumed ourselves alone, the demon ranted and raved to my mind, running through her usual list of paranoid questions, making me answer each of them as I did at least twice daily. I really didn't know what her problem was, but she seriously needed to get over it. If she'd just shut up and let me get some _decent _rest, an hour or two might have done the trick. But, if she planned on keeping _this _up, I would just let her rant on and sleep the afternoon away. I was just worried, one of these days, it'd make me slip up.

Grambi forbid anything be _her _fault—oh, no, I'll _surely _be blamed for that.


	19. Chapter 18

_If you're unaware-To Jest for a Jester is going on a weekly update. From now until the end of its run, there's going to be a new chapter every Friday. If I ever miss an update, you'll be warned beforehand, and I'll have a double-update waiting for you the following week._

_In other news-the sequal to my other fanfic, Obsessive Fangirl is now published. Search "Obsessive Fangirl 2: Super Star" or find it on my profile._

* * *

I awoke-much later than I had intended to-to a dim sunset, throbbing headache, screaming demon, and knocking on the door. I shook myself further awake, ignored the first two problems, gave a mental command for the third to be silent, and sharply barked "WHAT?" in hopes of quieting the fourth.

The door gently swung open, and in stepped Mario, the Princess, the butterfly, and a scowling triangle. An odd group, to be sure, but I took no interest in them. My only thoughts concerning them were curiosity as to what was in the giant sack they carried and irritation that after a full day of ignoring everyone who rushed in and out of the bank, these heroes had successfully interrupted my nap.

"Hi, there!" I chirped, straightening up and fixing my pigtails. "Super to see you today! How can I help you?"

"We'd like to make a payment on our debt." The Princess informed me as Mario offered me the sack.

I took the sack with no more than a grunt of strain and a bit of help from the demon's magic. "Well, that's just _super!_" I chirped. I dumped the bag into the containment bin at the back of the room, and sure enough, rubees spilled out and into the bin. Once the entire thing was emptied out, I hit a button on the side, opening the bottom of the bin.

The rubees steadily leaked down and disappeared from the bin, the machines counting each one off the million-rubee debt displayed overhead as the gems were transported up to my vault on the third floor.

I turned from the bin, sauntering back over to hand them their sack back. "It'll only take a minute for the computer to take those rubees off your debt."

Mario nodded, accepting the sack from me. "We're very sorry about breaking your vase, Mimi." The butterfly reminded me.

"Uh-huh." I said taking a seat. "I'm sure."

_Ding ding ding _my computer said, finished counting each of the sparkling red gems. I reached for the mouse and made a few clicks to see how much had been taken off their final balance. "Okay! So, thanks for paying off your rubee debt… in… full?"

I stared and stared at the screen for what seemed like hours, lost in complete and total shock. That couldn't _possibly _be correct. The system had to be malfunctioning—there was a bug or something. There was no _way _the "debt remaining" number was gone.

Yet, there it was. A big, red _zero_. Right in the middle of the page.

"No…" I breathed. "…no… _no_…" I threw myself from my chair, stumbling back until I hit the wall behind me. "_NO! _HOW DID YOU STUPID-HEADS _DO _THAT! NO ONE'S SUPPOSED TO DO THAT!"

"_Calm down, girl!" _My demon roared within my already pounding head. _"Be careful!"_

"MY CURSE! MY _CURSE! _YOU'VE BROKEN MY WONDERFUL CURSE!" I shrieked, stumbling clumsily around. "HOW DID—_grrr I'LL GET YOU STUPID-HEADS!_"

I made a move towards them, then suddenly, I stopped, freezing stone-still. I choked on the air suddenly caught in my throat. I saw horror flash over the heroes' faces for only a moment. Then, suddenly, I heard a giant _pop _and everything went dark.

* * *

I awoke slowly, having to force my way back to the world of the living. I groaned in agony. The headache was throbbing, spinning my vision. I shook my head slowly, hoping to clear my thoughts. No such luck.

"_**Finally **__you're awake…" _I heard the demon seethe from deep within my mind. Her voice was swimming around with the rest of my frazzled thoughts, and I wouldn't have heard her if she wasn't always so loud.

"Ugh… wa… what happened?" I finally managed to choke out. I gagged—afraid I would cough out blood—but recovered after a moment.

"_I had to destroy you for a moment…" _The demon curtly informed me, in the same manner someone else would say "oh look, it's raining outside."

I raised my head what little I could and looked around the room. My limbs were all detached from my torso, which I noticed was flung clear across the room. One of my pigtails lay nearby. I had no idea where the other had gone. I groaned again. "Oh, I _hate _when you do that…"

The demon snorted. _"If I've told you once, I've told you a thousand times—I've no concern for your opinions of my actions. What's done is done."_

Like magnets, my limbs steadily slid across the floor and rejoined with my body. I watched it pick itself up and venture over to find my head. "Why'd you do it, though?" I asked, screwing my head back onto my shoulders where it belonged.

"_I couldn't risk you engaging them in battle here." _She drawled in a bored tone. _"You said yourself—they broke the curse. Should they be able to stop you for even a moment—they could escape."_

I sighed, picking up one of my pigtails and sticking it back on before wandering off to locate the other. "Well, I guess you're right… but where are they now? What am I gonna do if I've lost 'em?"

"_You haven't lost them, my dear…" _The demon snarled—and at her command my head abruptly jerked away from the located hairpiece to find the basement chamber standing wide open. _"They've ventured down to that horrid maze in search of Merlee."_

I moaned, snatching my pigtail off the floor and shoving it back in place with its twin. "Golly, like it wasn't freaking hard enough to find Merlee down there! Now I gotta go after the heroes too?"

"_Believe me, I'm not too thrilled about the idea either…" _The demon snarled. _"However, it seems necessary. But, be careful! You're going to have to pull a few tricks if you want to get them back under your control."_

I sighed, running a hand tiredly over my face. "This isn't going to be easy, is it?"

"_On the contrary—it will be quite simple." _She reassured me. _"Especially considering your only other option is to beat them to Merlee. And with her location still being unknown to us…"_

I waved her off. "Yeah, yeah, I get it. We gotta go bash the heroes."

"_AH!" _The demon cried, jerking me to an abrupt halt as I attempted to enter the chamber. _"You be careful. You cannot simply march in there and engage them in battle. You simply aren't strong or rested enough to take them—especially after that last stunt we pulled."_

I shoved my hands on my hips, crossing my eyes at my forehead. "So, what am I supposed to do, huh?"

"_Relax, girl…" _She cooed in a soothing voice. _"Everything will work out just fine. You are the master of illusion, are you not? I'll bet you can con your way out of this yet."_

I rolled my eyes, releasing a heavy sigh as I sealed the basement entrance and descended down after the heroes. "…I sure hope you're right."

* * *

"…_is there any particular reason you are just SITTING there?" _The demon suddenly demanded. _"__**Especially **__when you could be out searching for the heroes or Merlee?"_

"It wouldn't do any good." I bluntly informed her. I was tired, cranky, beaten, ruined, and all things considered—really not in any mood to put up with her crap. "To face the heroes, I need strength to attack or a plan—I've got neither. To find Merlee, I'd have to go deeper down in the basement, because we know she's not anywhere out here."

I sat alone in a wide, beautifully decorated corridor, the second floor of this strange room. I'd marked it as a checkpoint a while back, and usually teleported straight here while searching for Merlee. My demon had identified a curse set up here that caused the basement to—in its entirety—re-arranged itself as one walked through it. No pattern seemed consistent.

"_They'll be coming this way to find you!" _The demon warned for the fifteenth time in the past hour. _"What do you expect to pull when they find you?"_

I shrugged. "I guess I'll make it up as I go."

And suddenly the door below was flung open, slamming shut with a loud _bang. _Clambering footsteps, repetitive jumping, and loud voices were quickly attempting to solve the puzzle at the end of the hall in an attempt to reach my floor.

I jumped to my feet in shock. "Crap! I didn't think they'd get here so quick!"

"_You'd better think of something fast then, girl!" _The demon growled. _"You can't screw this up now!"_

"I won't, I won't!" I desperately hissed, more attempting to reassure myself than her. "Um, I'll think of something!"

"_You don't have time to think! They're on their way up!" _The demon shrieked. I really have no idea what in all the dimensions led her to think raising her voice and giving me a splitting headache helped with anything, but she was _horribly _mistaken. _"Do something! __**Now!**__"_

I panicked. I saw the heroes clambering over the edge of the hall. In a flash, I spun myself around, and quickly took on the form of Merlee herself. As the heroes made their way towards me, I quickly adjusted her obnoxious glasses, the veil over my face, and fluffed up her long tangles of bright orange curls. Not the most attractive form—but hopefully, one I could pull off on the whim.

"Merlee!" The Princess cried, rushing towards me with the others quickly following. "Oh, thank Grambi you're here! We were beginning to think we'd never find you!"

"Ah, yes… how very nice…" I rambled, my eyes flashing around as I sought out the rhyme I knew they'd be expecting. "Thanks for coming! …thank you… twice! Mysterious and so lovely—that is me! Mistress of the house—Lady Merlee! I shine on, such is my lot… a sun to those fate to me brought! And soon I knew I'd see you buzz on by, little bees… hee hee hee hee hee!"

"_Impressive…" _The demon noted as I finished my rant. _"Not your best work, by far, but these heroes at least seem to believe you."_

The butterfly fluttered up to the front of the group so I could see her more clearly. "We've come seeking the Pure Heart." She informed me.

I nodded my head, and heard a light tinkling sound. While a small part of me wondered where the hell in this stupid hat she had hidden bells, the rest of me chirped "Ah, yes, of course, I know! A Pure Heart for Mario! …and co.!"

Mario nodded his head to confirm this. I smirked under my veil. "For you, yes, I'll gladly part with that purest Pure Heart. Mmm, yes, but there is a wee fee: ten thousand Rubees! Quite the bargain—you agree? So, folks, if you'd be dear, sign the dotted line here, and it's yours—free and clear!"

I pulled a piece of parchment out of Merlee's sleeve and offered it to them, using my magic to spell out a binding contract on it. The heroes looked over it nervously, exchanged a glance between themselves, then turned back to me. "…I don't think we can do that, Merlee…" Peach said apologetically.

I quieted the sound of my demon going total freak-show-panic-attack on me, and calmly replied "…if you lack the Rubees now, a smallish loan I could allow. You could work it off somehow. Just sign here, my dear…"

They didn't even look at each other this time. "A Rubee loan?" The butterfly repeated. "No, thanks, I don't think we're interested in that."

I fought back the urge to groan in frustration, and was glad they couldn't see my smile twitching behind the veil. "…Okay, here's what we'll do. Have I got a deal for you! Sign up for a loan and, BOOM! A free gift! Away with gloom! A Super Mega Ultra Shroom! Just sign here, my dear…"

Mario abruptly shook his head—the words were hardly out of my mouth before he refused.

"Ugh, fine. You bargain hard." I snapped, growing irritated. I caught sight of the small triangle floating just behind the group. "…I'll also throw in… Breadward! The…"

"_Pixl!" _The demon quickly supplied, catching my train of thoughts mid-run.

I sent her a silent thanks. "…Pixl made of oats and lard!" I finished. "Isn't that so nice of me? I'm the best, don't you see? Here, dear—sign and cheer…"

I don't really think butterflies _can _glare—especially not one made of rainbow shapes. However, this one seemed to be doing a pretty good job of it. "No." she said, flat and firm.

I shrieked. "NYAAAAAAAAH! IDIOTS, THE LOT OF YOU!" I cried dramatically. "Turning down such a coup! None of you have a clue! Here it is: your last shot! Sign right now, on the dot!"

Again, all three of the idiots refused.

"_Good choice, for my sake…" _I knew that stupid voice the moment it whispered through the hall—the real Merlee. _"This Merlee's a total fake… Listen not! She is a snake!"_

"_Mimimimimi…_" I mumbled in irritation, hearing the demon growl dangerously in agreement. "…no point trying to fool anyone now."

With a loud _pop _and a poof of smoke, I was myself again—in my usual perky pigtails, bright yellow dress, and all-in-all beautiful self. "TA-DAH! The girl you _thought _was a stupid handmaid or a Merlee imposter—is _actually _a loyal follower of the super awesome amazing fantabulous Count Bleck! Introducing master impersonator—MIMI!"

The moment they heard I was actually working for the Count, Mario jumped into an attack stance, the Princess whipping out this frilly, girly, pink parasol like she thought she could do some real damage with it.

My face scrounged in rage, and I felt the demon's fury rushing through my veins, making my head pound. "Oh, so you wanna get ugly, huh? Well, that's just _super! _Fine then! _Let's get ugly! TRUE MIMI COME FORTH!_"

I heard the demon snatch my voice to call her, and suddenly there was nothing to be done about it. I already felt my head twisting and my neck snapping.

In essence, I suppose she _was _my true self. The monster the demon had made—that she had planted deep within my previous form—had changed me from the inside out. I could change to any form I liked. Anything was at my disposal. However, the acid green skin, square-shaped, breakable rag doll was the closest thing I could get to who I once was.

The monster was my true self. I was more like it than I was me.

My thoughts jerked to a halt as my body was slung up into the air and the long stilts exploded outwards, skewering the ground to hold me aloft. I awoke in my subconscious along with my demon, watching the heroes leap backwards in horror and shock. Good—at least they hadn't seen this coming.

The demon's claws were around my throat immediately, slinging me out of the way so she could get a better view of the hall. _"Out of my way, pest! You had your chance—now we're playing __**my **__way!"_

Of course, I was against this, but there was nothing I could do. The demon seized control of the entire monster, steering us right towards the heroes.

"Mario!" I dimly heard the Princess shriek. "Do something!"

Mario nodded once, and launched himself violently off the ground and shot straight towards us. The demon—still unaccustomed to being attacked, shrieked and caused the monster to reel backwards. Mario missed, hit the ground, and shot right back up to drive his foot right in the monster's head.

He rebounded right off.

In a surge of magic, Mario was flung clear across the room. The demon blinked, looking wildly around, as if hoping to locate the source of the magic. _"What is that?" _She demanded, whipping around to glare at me.

"It's some of the Count's power." I said immediately. "The same magic the Chaos Heart uses to protect him. After the hero beat O'Chunks, he gave me some of his power to protect me!"

The demon grinned madly. _"Brilliant! We're invincible! They can't touch us!"_

The monster shrieked horribly and dived towards the heroes again. They screamed and scrambled clumsily out of the way.

"_I must suggest you flee…" _Merlee's voice echoed as we continued to mercilessly attack. _"Come and find the real me. I am hiding-look and see! If you can, my magic may weaken her and win the day! Hurry, hurry! Don't delay!"_

The Princess took our distraction as an opportunity to dash beneath the monster's spindly legs. "Mario!" She cried. "Over here!"

The monster whipped around just in time for us to notice her open the door we had been guarding and rush inside. Mario came bounding over our head, the Pixls rushing right behind him to run further down into the basement.

"They're getting away!" I cried desperately.

My demon snarled. _"Oh, no they're not…" _With that, she willed the monster violently forward, and we were chasing them-madly tearing up the halls as we frantically tried to locate the escaped heroes.


	20. Chapter 19

Down the endless corridors, through the traps and around the monsters we went—the heroes forever _just _out of our reach. It really was becoming _really _annoying.

Mostly, the demon remained in control, bursting violently into every room, shrieking in rage and throwing Rubees at anything that made the foolish mistake of standing in her path. Occasionally—when I thought I had glimpsed the heroes—I would snatch control of the monster and dash off in that direction. I would have been terribly surprised at how readily the demon relinquished control—as I'm sure she would have as well—had we both not been laser-focused on the heroes and furious to boot.

So we chased them deeper and deeper down into the bowels of the infinite mansion. And after what seemed like hours—it happened.

We lost them.

"_NO!" _The demon shrieked, scurrying quickly down the hall and back again. _"IMPOSSIBLE! WHERE DID THEY GO?"_

"Calm down!" I snapped, waving her aside so I could look around. "You're going to scare them off again with all that screaming!"

I felt her claws snatch violently at the back of my head. _"Don't you order __**me **__around, you little brat! Find them! Now!"_

"I'm working on it!" I screamed. "Am I just supposed to be able to look through walls all of the sudden?"

"_Don't be ridiculous—we're stronger than a flimsy wall! Just smash through it!" _She screeched dramatically, throwing her arm in the direction of the unfortunate wall.

"And scare them off!" I reminded her. "Look!" I forced the demon and monster to face towards the end of the hall. "We've hit a dead end. There's nowhere left for them to run—they _have _to be somewhere nearby."

"_Shh!" _The demon suddenly silenced me, clamping her clawed hands around my mouth and head. _"…do you hear that?"_

I raised an eyebrow, slowly removing her hand. "…hear what?" I whispered.

"…_voices." _She sharply declared, turning from me and willing the monster in a random direction. _"I hear voices. It sounds like them!"_

I listened closely, and sure enough, I could _just _make out a few faint whispers—soft, frightened, and muffled by the thick walls—yet nonetheless drifting distinctly down the halls. "That sounds like Merlee!" I cried in a hushed whisper.

"…_the Pure Heart, I quickly took, and hid where she would never look…" _Merlee was saying, keeping her voice carefully low. We noticed the voices were coming from the bathrooms at the end of the halls. The demon and I exchanged a rather confused look, but there was no mistaking it—that _was _where the voices were coming from.

Merlee's shrill, whiney laugh erupted suddenly, and our attention turned to the ladies' room. _"But, now you're here! Hooray! This bad tide will turn today! Soon that awful Mimi pays…"_

"Awful?" I cried. "Who does that little witch think she is?"

"_Calm yourself, girl…" _The demon cooed, her claws wrapping around my shoulders as an evil grin wrapped around her face. _"Don't you see? We've hit the jackpot! Not only have we located Merlee __**and **__the heroes—but the Pure Heart lies there with them! And we've run them right into a corner!"_

"_You and I can now join up to teach that tiny, bratty pup a lesson; now let's power up!" _Merlee cried, her voice enthusiastically rising.

"_Oh, I don't think so!" _The demon called musically, commanding the monster to repeat her words. She then shoved me to the front of my subconscious—to control of the monster. _"Go on, girl! Finish them!"_

Me? She trusted _me_ with this? I couldn't screw this up. She'd murder me.

That was the only thing I could think of as the monster burst into the room, cracking the tile flooring with its spindly legs and screeching that horrible noise it made. Sure enough, our prey stood before us. The Princess and the butterfly shrieked in horror, jumping backwards behind Mario, who dropped down in an attack stance upon seeing me. Merlee herself stood there with them—trembling and cowering before me. "Mimi!" The witch cried in shock.

I grinned madly. I had an idea.

The monster rushed forward, and just as we were almost on top of them—I popped, sending the monster a signal to take on a new form.

"_What are you doing?" _I dimly heard the demon snap.

_Trust me! _I silently commanded.

There was a large burst of smoke that filled the room. It hurt—switching right from monster to someone else without being me in between, but I sucked it up, choked back a scream, and pulled it off. I dropped down and landed on the other side of Merlee—just between her and the heroes—as a flawless impersonation of her.

"Stop pretending to be me!" I shrieked as soon as the smoke cleared and everyone realized two Merlees now stood before them. "Everyone knows you are Mimi! Come on, friends! Attack! We can drive her back!"

Merlee, of course, looked at me like I was crazy. However, she only opened her mouth to say _exactly _what I needed her to. "What is this you talk about? You're the faker! And a lout! Don't be fooled by her act!" She begged the heroes, jabbing her finger at me. "Get her! Now! Attack!"

"_Brilliant, girl!" _The demon cried, cackling mercilessly. _"Those foolish heroes don't know who to believe!"_

I smiled, turning to rush to grab onto Mario's hand desperately. "It's me! The real Merlee!"

Unfortunately, the witch rushed over to do exactly the same. "No, it's me! The true Merlee!"

I grabbed her shoulder, yanking her back from Mario, then turning to face him and all his bewildered friends. "Look at us very closely." I gently invited. "One of us has real beauty… and one is fake as can be!"

"Oh, please, you make me gag." Merlee drawled, and I just knew she was rolling her eyes behind those obnoxious glasses. "I am _hot_—no need to brag. And you, well… you're just a hag."

That did it. I growled, clenching my hands into tight fists. "_Grrrrr_—what a fib-maker! You're such a fake faker!"

"Oh, now, come off it, dear!" Merlee sang, waving me off. "You're a dog from eye to ear. _And your breath reeks, I fear…_" She added quietly.

With that, I drew back my hand and smacked her sharply across the face. Not the best decision, perhaps, but it seemed like a Merlee-enough thing to do. "BIG PIG!" I cried.

And she drew back her hand and gave me a good smack in return. "CHOW COW!" She shrieked.

And with that, we were fighting. Smacking each other cross-eyed, ripping at each other's hair, scratching and kicking at each other. We were a mess in no time at all.

"Wait!" Merlee suddenly cried, stumbling back from me. "This is getting nowhere, see? Let's let _them _pick a Merlee and settle this… do you agree?"

I nodded, yanking the orange curls out of my face. "Sounds like a good thought." I agreed. "'Cause I'm the real me—hot—and you really aren't—not."

"Hee hee hee hee hee!" She laughed. "Oh how much do you amuse! You're the fake—you will lose!"

"Hee hee hee hee hee!" I sarcastically returned. "You're fake, you stupid fake! We all know you're the snake!"

And suddenly, the entire bathroom transformed. Bright, neon lights covered just about everything. Merlee and I stood side-by-side on one end of the room, spotlights shining down on us. The heroes were gathered at the other end, looking extremely confused and very nervous about the whole ordeal. Really, I didn't blame them.

"Iiiiiiiiiiit's the sixty-sixth annual 'That's my Merlee' show! How are you folks doing?" A peppy electronic voice called as a digital face pulled up on the screen floating between everybody.

Yup. Officially the weirdest day of my life.

"Let's get going!" The face chirped enthusiastically. "You're gonna ask these two Merlee's a total of FIVE questions!" He instructed the heroes, who were still looking stunned out of their wits. With any luck, their daze wouldn't allow them to distinguish between us. "Listen closely to those answers, 'cause at the end, you're gonna pick the real Merlee! Oh, but that's not all! Choose wrong and there could be some dis-AST-rous results! Now for our first question!"

The face then turned to the heroes, as if waiting for them to say something. They stood in stupefied silence until the Princess nudged Mario's shoulder and gestured to a screen on the podium before them. I couldn't read it from here, but I assume it displayed a list of questions. The heroes whispered quietly for a while longer while Merlee and I stood there fidgeting nervously.

"_Relax, girl…" _The demon whispered. _"These heroes have only just met Merlee—they won't be able to tell the difference no matter what nonsense you spit out."_

I smiled at that. _Good to know…_

"…What's your nickname?" The Princess asked, hesitantly and quietly.

"It is not a name to boast…" Merlee said first. "…but I was 'the Bashful Ghost."

I shrugged. "Not to go and make a fuss, but I was 'the Odd Porpoise'." Merlee was a weirdo—surely they'd buy that.

Our interviewers conversed for a moment then eventually decided that their last question had gotten them nowhere, so they went to select a new question. "Four questions left!" The digital face reminded them.

The Princess cast him an annoyed scowl, but other than that, they made no acknowledgment he had spoken. They decided on a question, and Mario addressed us this time. "What do you want-a most right-a now?"

"_They're trying to trick you…" _The demon quickly warned. _"They tried to get you to say Mimi, and now they want you to say Rubees."_

I nodded once. _Gotcha. I won't fall for it._

"I want a boyfriend, please!" I immediately declared. "I'd love a guy to squeeze!"

"_What kind of a Merlee answer is that?" _The demon snapped.

_What? _I thought in return. _She's such a loser! She needs a guy._

She only groaned dramatically.

Merlee only rolled her eyes. "A crystal ball—the newest kind. Good ones are hard to find!" She chirped excitedly.

"_You see?" _The demon snapped. _"SHE'S obviously Merlee! They know she tells fortunes!"_

_But she asked for a __**new **__one! _I reminded her. _And they know how greedy I am! They'll think it's me!_

The fates seemed to side with me on that one, and by the looks of things, the heroes reached a similar if not identical conclusion. They conversed once more, and decided to take a stab at my vanity. "What do you think is your best feature?" The butterfly wondered.

"The lobes of my perfect ears." Merlee said proudly. Should've known she'd say something weird like that. "They were voted by my peers to be 'Lobes of the Year!'"

I scrambled for an answer, realizing that while my form obviously had _no _ears, Merlee could very well have a perfect pair under that ridiculous hat. I decided to downplay the vanity I knew they were looking for. "Well, that would have to be my effervescent personality." I said, smiling sincerely. "People seem to love it, see?"

Luck alone won me that one—the heroes stood baffled yet again. Just facing one of them, I seriously doubted I could pull this off. But, with three contradicting personalities standing there arguing between themselves, everyone dazed and confused and tired as they were, I was pulling it off rather efficiently.

"Oh, how _adorable!_" The Princess suddenly cried, and before Mario could stop her, she shouted "What's your favorite kind of animal?"

"_An __**adorable **__little demon! All sweatin' and steamin'!_" I bit hard into my lip as soon as the answer flew out of my mouth. _What happened to giving Merlee answers?_

"_Merlee's a freak—you said yourself. I'll bet she LOVES demons." _She cooed, though I could tell she had done it just to stroke her own freaking ego.

I stifled a growl. Luckily, Merlee's response seemed just as outlandish as mine—"An adorable little bear cubbie, just as cute as can be!"

The Princess gave us an odd look—we, obviously, not having provided her with the cute and cuddliness she had expected. She turned from us and they conversed one final time. "Laaaaaaaast question!" The digital face above us sang. After what seemed like an eternity, they picked one. The butterfly fluttered to the front of the group to voice it to us. "When's your birthday?"

"What day did I arrive?" Merlee needlessly repeated. "Ah, yes, March—day twenty-five!"

I wracked my brain for a date, and the demon eventually supplied me with a false one, realizing what I was trying to locate. "_I bloomed in May—the fifth was the day!_" She spit out on my behalf.

"Well, folks, looks like that was all five questions!" The digital face reminded them. "Time to pick your Merlee—so who's it gonna be?"

The heroes conversed spastically as a timer began ticking quickly down. Everyone was nervous—obviously. My demon and I had our whole beautiful stunt on the line here. Merlee—I'm sure—was well-aware everyone in the room would probably die and the Pure Heart would be lost should they choose wrong. Of course, these things considered, the heroes were nearly hysterical in their arguments. No one knew what to think. They'd asked good questions—as good as it gets without going "Which one of you is Mimi?", which wouldn't have done them much good anyway. However, nothing really seemed to get them anywhere, considering they didn't really know either of us.

Suddenly, I saw the butterfly flap her wings against each one. Upon seizing their attention, she hovered lower, whispering something quietly to them. Mario and the Princess looked to me, then to Merlee, then back again.

Then their eyes went wide.

"We have an answer!" The Princess cried to the digital face, shooting her hand in the air like she was in school or something.

"Alright then—LET'S HAVE A GUESS!" The face said enthusiastically.

And the snotty Princess jabbed her finger in our direction. "_That's _the real Merlee!"

My heart froze in my chest.

And all I could hear was the demon's hoarse whisper at the back of my mind saying _"…busted…"_


	21. Chapter 20

"Well, of course… _obviously…_" Merlee laughed as she sauntered down from our pedestals. The game show disappeared around us as soon as the digital face had declared the heroes to be correct. "No one could copy me!"

I felt my hands clench into tight fists. "IDIOTS! I mimicked her _perfectly!_ You _know_ it!" I took a deep breath and sighed, shifting back into myself to sweep my pigtails back into order. I glared at the heroes and the stupid witch that stood just between us. "…I guess I'll have to congratulate you… _by tearing you to little bits like stupid confetti!_"

I felt the demon snatch control, and my head twisted around violently. I shot up into the air, towering over all the others as they cowered before me. I let a few choked moans slip out. All this back and forth and back and forth from one form to another and back again was really starting to take its toll on me.

As Mario and Peach took their attack stances, Merlee shrieked and sprinted out of the room. "I will cheer from over here!" She called as the doors slammed shut behind her, sealing everyone else inside. "Rah! Rah! Woosh-bing-bah! Kick her in the knee! …if she has one… does she?"

I laughed to myself, hearing the monster demonically mimic me. "She's a fast one, isn't she?" We hissed in unison. "Oh, golly, well… whatever! I'll finish you off first!"

With that, I attacked. I rushed towards them—effectively scattering hero from Princess from butterfly. I began spitting my rubees this way and that, sending up giant waves of them and knocking both heroes up against the far wall. A few times, they made the mistake of trying to hit me again, but they continued to rebound right off.

"_Mimimimimimi!_" I laughed, scampering up the walls and hanging overhead on the ceiling. I spit my rubees down into the floor below. The Princess screamed and ducked under her parasol. I almost laughed—until I noticed my rubees rebounded off of it. Guess it was good for something after all. Whatever—I continued my assault on them for a while, until the demon snatched control and forced me down from the ceiling, scrambling unsteadily for the ground until she was able to chase violently after them.

Suddenly, we stopped. The demon screamed as we reeled backwards, three heads absolutely spinning in dizzied, pained confusion. _"What was that?"_The demon shrieked at the top of her lungs.

"Why can you damage me?" I screamed to the heroes. Not like it did a lot of good—they seemed equally stunned. "I'm supposed to be all _INVINCIBLE!_ Count Bleck's power was supposed to _protect_me!"

"Rah! Rah! Whoosh-bing-bah!" Merlee cried from outside the door. "You can hit her now, dear! For this is no normal cheer! This cheer is magic—woo! Her magic barrier is through!"

The demon shrieked in rage, splitting my ears with the monster's inhuman wail. "When did this happen?" I demanded, trying in vain to shove the demon's hysterical self further back into my subconscious. "I feel completely naked! How could you?"

I screamed as claws grabbed my pigtail and threw me out of the way. I slowly picked myself up, watching the demon take control and attacking the heroes with no mercy. It seemed like it was too late, though—I couldn't see anything, but I could still feel that we were getting hit. Hard.

My shoulders kept aching, and I noticed the demon was clutching painfully at hers every time she screamed. My memories raced back to Castle Bleck, when Dimentio and Nastasia had first laid eyes on my monster. I remembered fighting Dimentio, being trapped in the box… then Dimentio accidentally breaking one of the monster's legs off.

I panicked immediately, trying to unscramble my dizzy mind and count up the hits. Three, if I was correct. They'd ripped three legs clean off—and unless I was mistaken, I had just felt a fourth. They were over halfway through with us. If they managed to wrench loose the last two, we wouldn't be able to do anything. They knew that.

"Yes, yes! Our team's the best! Gooooo team!" Merlee sang from her hiding spot.

The demon shrieked, hurling a few rubees her way before turning back on the heroes. "STOP!" I shrieked, trying to snatch back control while still trying to beat the heroes off of us.

_"WHAT ARE YOU DOING?"_ She shrieked, hitting me and attempting to throw me aside. _"GET OUT OF MY WAY!"_

"You're going to get us _killed!_" I screamed, weakly hitting her back what little I could.

The demon tried to say something, but whatever it was came out as a scream that mixed with mine as another leg was yanked out of place. The monster crashed to the ground, its final leg scrambling madly for hold on the tile flooring. In the demon's shock, I managed to gain full control. I shot out waves of rubees from the ground, spitting even more from my mouth. I couldn't let those heroes get near me.

They looked beaten—we'd obviously been formidable foes. However, it was impossible to ignore that they were nowhere _near_as beaten down as I was.

I didn't give up though. I never stopped firing rubees. I never stopped trying to get up. I don't think I even paused to catch my breath. I didn't realize how broken and bleeding I was. I just had to win this.

I couldn't though.

In all honesty, I don't remember how it happened.

I continued my attack, on and on, wearing myself out. Then, suddenly, the Princess found a way to break through the waves of rubees using her parasol. I remember it hurt when she hit me. I don't remember if I screamed or not. I just remember pain, then lying on the floor.

I think I was kind of on autopilot. I was just watching a movie as the demon turned me back to myself and shrieked words of fury at the heroes for their victory. With that, she had teleported us outside.

We only made it just outside the Mansion. She screamed at me, demanding why we weren't able to get back to Castle Bleck. I think I offered her a response—I simply didn't have enough strength, magic, anything. I don't remember if I said it outloud.

A mile or so from the Mansion grounds, I collapsed. I scrounged up enough power (after nearly two hours of lying there motionless) to conjure a paper and pen and teleport a note to Nastasia. I was brief with my message. I didn't have the strength to go into details.

"_I messed up… bad…_"

* * *

It was hours later when I had gathered enough strength to pull myself underneath some of the overhanging trees. It was getting dark, I was scared, and I wanted to go home.

How could I, though? Even after my powers had returned to me—I hadn't even considered returning to the Castle. I was too ashamed.

What would Dimentio think of me? What would Nastasia say? Would Count Bleck even allow me to return home?

Something appeared before me—off in the dusk of the approaching night. I shrunk back, hugging my knees to my chest. I knew who it was. I would know the Count anywhere.

He glided towards me, staff grasped firmly in hand. His red eye shown down on me as he towered over my humble form. "…Mimi." He stated.

"…hey, Count…" I mumbled, hugging my knees tighter.

He knelt down before me, just as he had the same day he had agreed to let me stay, with that same gentle glow in his eyes. "…what are you doing out here, Mimi?"

I shrugged. "I dunno…"

There was silence for a moment.

"…sorry I messed up…" I murmured, my voice growing quieter and quieter.

"That is quite alright, Mimi." The Count said, firmly but gently. "I am completely satisfied to find you alive and well."

I glanced up slowly. "…really?" I asked, unable to hide the hope in my voice.

The Count nodded. "Really." He promised. Rising up from the ground, he offered me his gloved hand. "Now then… if you would like to accompany me back to the Castle, I believe I have a new piece of our story for you…"

* * *

"…let me think…" The Count said to himself as I clambered into bed. He took a seat beside me and stared off into the dark sky outside my window. "…where did our tale leave off?"

"Blumiere woke up in a human's house." I immediately supplied. "And the girl was being nice to him just to be nice."

Count Bleck smiled and nodded his head. "Ah, yes, that is correct… Well, after that incident, Blumiere eventually recovered and went on his way home. However, he did not stop seeing this strange girl. He snuck out of the castle many nights to venture down into the woods of the valleys and sit and talk with the human."

I smiled, nestling down into my covers. "That's so romantic…" I sighed. "He's sneaking out to see her…"

"Indeed…" The Count agreed. "All was not well, though… The girl noticed, one night, that something continued to keep him from her… _'You're late…'_ she had informed him, as if he was not already aware. _'Did something happen?'_"

Count Bleck paused to make sure I was listening, then continued. "_'Yes.'_ Blumiere had replied. _'My father caught me. Sneaking out of the castle wasn't easy after that.'_ The girl was obviously very worried by this. She had bowed her head and looked away from Blumiere. _'I was worried you wouldn't come…'_she whispered into the woods."

"But, he _did_come." I interrupted.

The Count nodded. "Yes, and the girl was very glad that he did. Blumiere was confused, though, why she would worry so about such a thing. _'You are a strange girl…'_ he had mused to himself. _'You know what I am, and yet, you do not seem afraid…'_

"The girl, having heard Blumiere's quiet words, shook her head in denial. _'I don't care what you are.'_ she firmly declared. _'I just wanted to see you… is that… is that so wrong?'_ Blumiere, of course, was shocked even more that _this_ would be her fears. She was afraid, not of Blumiere himself, but of the possibility that she may be separated from him. _'No. No, of course not.'_ he gently assured her. _'I wanted to see you too.'_"

"Aw!" I sweetly interrupted. "That's adorable!"

The Count smiled at me, nodding his head. "Establishing that each of them wished to be with the other, the girl gently took Blumiere's hands in hers and pulled him to the base of a large tree. _'Blumiere… do you mind if I sit next to you?'_ she asked him meekly. Blumiere took a seat in the grass, pulling her gently down beside him. _'Please do, Timpani… Let's return to our conversation… I must know more of you…'_"

I blinked. "…Timpani? Who's that?"

The Count's attention snapped towards me suddenly, as if he had only just realized that I was in the room. "…pardon?"

"You said 'Timpani.'" I clarified. "Who is that? Is that the girl's name?"

Count Bleck slowly nodded his head as he turned away from me. "…yes…" He said—quietly, and after a long time. "…Timpani was her name."

I smiled. "Why didn't you say it from the beginning? It's such a pretty name!"

"…Indeed it is…" The Count agreed. He was getting quieter and quieter, it seemed. Then, suddenly, he rose. He floated over towards me, pulling the covers up around me and gently stroking my pigtails. "Goodnight, Mimi." He called as he moved towards my door.

"Wait!" I called, bolting upright in bed. "That's it? That's all you're gonna say about the story? They didn't even do anything yet!"

"Good_night_, Mimi!" Was the only answer I received as my lights clicked off and the door shut behind the Count. I huffed, flopping back into bed. Fine. Let him be that way. I don't care. If he won't finish my bedtime story properly, I'll just _lay_ here _all night_.

I won't even sleep… at all…

…Good Grambi, I was tired…


	22. Chapter 21

_I didn't know what was happening to me. I don't think anyone did. _

_My parents had brought me to another witch in some distant village. She claimed she could cure me—if nothing else at all, she could discover what was wrong with me._

_No one knew how it happened. I went out in the woods near our home village to play with my friends one day. When I got home that night… I was different._

_I was in pain nearly all the time. I did and said things I had no control over, and everyone could tell were __**clearly **__not my doing. _

_We sat in a small, dark room, and waited for the witch to come to us. My mother held me tight and stroked my hair and whispered lovingly to me, despite the scars and bruises she had from my attacking her. I never meant to hurt her. I would see her, blink, and she was on the ground._

_I never wanted to hurt either of my parents. They loved me so much, and they only wanted to help me. And all I could do was hurt them._

_So even though I was scared, when the witch came in, I told her everything I could. I told her about how I couldn't quite remember doing these things, I just blinked and they happened. People around me got hurt, or things around me got broken and torn apart. There was always evidence that I was at fault, but I never remembered a thing._

…_also… there was this voice… just whispering at the back of my mind…_

"_**That's right, my little pawn… destroy for me…"**_

_The witch consulted my parents after hearing my tale. She requested permission to cast a spell on me—something that would destroy the 'wall' dividing me from whatever was causing me to do these things. It would lift my ignorance and allow me to see any and everything that was being done to me._

_Desperate, my parents agreed._

_That night, I dreamed. I saw her. A demon._

_I awoke deep within my own mind, and she stood towering before me. She was made of darkness itself, with large, blank eyes and a jack-o-lanturn smile that glowed white as fire. Waist up, her body was not so different from a human. Below her waist, her body turned into a long tail that she stood upright on, with several twisting and coiling tentacles that allowed her to slink about the room. Long hair as black as her skin flowed down her back, and I noted her hands were composed of four long, sharp talons. _

"…_**hello, girl…" **__She hissed to me, her tentacles brushing my legs as she paced around me._

_I was suddenly very afraid. "Who… who are you?" I choked out. _

"_**A demon." **__Was her only reply. __**"A demon who now dwells within your mind—a very part of who you are—and is slowly corrupting you to her own will."**_

_I shook my head, taking a hesitant step back from her. "…what do you mean? …a… part of me?"_

_She smiled, and nodded. __**"Indeed. You see, dear girl…" **__She hissed in my ear, leaning down to catch my chin in her clawed hands. __**"…I have a bit of trouble roaming this world… I cannot simply go out there like this… in fact, it is all but impossible…"**_

"…_why?" I hesitantly wondered._

"_**Never you mind." **__She snapped, turning away from me. __**"The form you see before simply isn't… compatible with this world… I require a new one… And so, I've chosen yours…"**_

_I swallowed hard. "…mine? Why?"_

_She growled when I asked that. __**"I was running low on time. I took what I could get—I didn't exactly plan to possess an ignorant, weak little girl…"**_

_I bowed my head shamefully at her critique. I had never been very strong, but I had thought I was fairly normal for someone of my age. "…I'm not… weak…" I quietly argued._

"_**Oh, but you are." **__The demon was quick to correct. __**"Don't worry, though, girl… I'll make you nice and strong… I have big plans for you and I—I'll make you absolutely phenomenal!"**_

"…_but…" I meekly protested. "…I like the way I am…"_

_She turned to stare at me with those wide, empty eyes of hers. __**"…you do? …you enjoy this form you now hold?"**_

_I nodded my head. _

_Her eyes narrowed viciously and her lips curled up into a snarl. __**"…then I would suggest you kiss it good-bye… you'll possess a new one before the week is out…"**_


	23. Mimi's Diary Entry 4

_Dear Diary,_

_So, I guess things aren't as bad as they seemed. After the whole deal at Merlee's Mansion blew over (Count totally said not to worry about it—he's such a sweetie) things sort of settled down for me. I've been hanging around Castle Bleck being ten shades of BORED, for, like, ever now!_

…_okay, not really… Its only been, like, three days._

_But, still, after all that excitement, its hard to just settle down and take a break all of a sudden! And to make things worse, nobody's here to keep my company. Dimentio watched me for the first day I was back—Count Bleck wouldn't let me leave my room, so the jester sat at the end of my bed and told me stories and jokes and showed me magic tricks. _

_But, by day two, Count Bleck sent Dimentio off to take his shot at the heroes. I haven't seen or heard from him since—he isn't somewhere where I can reach him through our computer._

_So, I've been stuck alone, doomed to wander the blank, empty hallways with only the ranting of my demon to keep me company. She still won't let me forget the way I screwed up this last battle for us._

_I was careful to keep it to myself that she's so passionate about fighting on the Count's team. If she realizes she's doing what I want, she might do something different. For now, I'm fighting for the Count, and she seems willing enough to help me out, as long as I listen to her._

_Not the best situation, but the best one I've been in so far. If I can keep this thing going, things might seriously start looking up for me._

_I've gone to Dimension D a few times trying to look at Dimentio through the wall that turns into a spy window. He looked very focused—sitting in the top of a tree in a world made all out of blocks, watching the heroes try to get up it (they found the stupid turtle. He wasn't that helpful in tree-climbing, I think). I thought about going to help him, but he's strong and smart and sneaky. O'Chunks didn't stand much of a chance against the heroes, but I came really close, I thought. Surely Dimentio would get them._

_There's still not a lot going on, though. I think I'll go talk to Nassy—she's busy, but maybe I can help her out with something._

_I'll keep you updated next time something good happens._

_~Mimi_


	24. Chapter 23

"I wonder why the sky's blue…" I asked aloud to the empty hallway.

I heard the demon shift within my mind, giving a heavy groan of frustration at my intense boredom interrupting her nap once again. _"The sky is __**not **__blue, you ignorant twit…" _she hissed irritably. _"The sky is __**purple.**__"_

I sighed, folding my arms on the window I sat at, staring out in to the void that hung over and around Castle Bleck. "…yeah… but everywhere else, it's blue."

"_Because some perfectly __**horrid **__higher being decided it was an appropriately atrocious color for the sky of an awful world." _My demon seethed. _"Let me __**rest, **__girl."_

I gave a short, sharp breath. "I'm just talking to myself. You don't _have _to answer me."

She growled loudly. _"It is __**incredibly **__difficult to obtain decent peace with you constantly __**prattling **__away your nonsensical wonderings in my ear." _

"I'm bored." I stated plainly. Not in the whining tone I used on any of the others that really meant "entertain me," but simply the stating of a simple fact. "I've got nothing better to do, so I'm just wondering."

She snarled at me. _"The world is how it is, and that's __**all **__there is to it. Don't waste your stupid time wondering about it."_

I was silent for a little while. She seemed to settle back down, and I thought I felt her jump when I spoke again. "Why do _you _think the sky's blue?"

"_Because… I don't know!" _She shrieked.

"Well, don't you want to know?" I gently asked.

She growled. _"No! Be __**quiet!**__"_

I could tell she was in a bad mood. I could help it, though—I was curious. I wanted to know not only what was happening around me, but why. I wanted to soak up all the information I could. The demon, on the other hand, was disgusted by my world, and only ever saw it as she did now—something to occupy my thoughts and interrupt her naps.

"…was the sky blue in my home?" I asked quietly.

Another growl echoed in my head. _"I thought I told you to be silent."_

"Well, was it?" I insisted. "…I don't… remember…"

I expected her to snap at me again, but instead, she simply sighed heavily. _"…no." _she said at last. _"The sky was pale yellow—almost white."_

"…was it really?" I asked in awe. "…what was my world like?"

She paused. I was very surprised that she answered. _"…it was not so different from others… there were creatures of your race that built up villages and castles. They hunted the lower beings of the world, and grew nourishment from the ground. They were different, in a way, but to me, they seemed not very different from any other world I had ventured to."_

It didn't exactly make up for all my years of forgotten memories, but at least it was something. "…what about your world?"

There was silence at my question, almost as though she were still uncertain of whether or not I had actually asked it. _"…what?" _she demanded after a moment.

Strangely—though her tone was sharp—there was no harshness in it. She hadn't told me to shut up either. "What was your world like?" I asked again. "You keep saying you can't survive well in mine… but you had to come from somewhere right?"

She was silent again for a very long time. _"…it was very dark…" _she decided at last. _"…my people are not like yours… we are far worse… not in bad ways, I think, but certainly in ways that every other race has been taught their entire life to avoid…"_

I gulped slightly. "So you're the bad guys."

"_The __**epitome **__of this cliché you call 'the bad guys'." _She corrected.

"Do you guys have families?" I naïvely asked.

She breathed deeply. _"Don't be ridiculous. No one can simply __**be**__. Everyone came from some family."_

I twisted my face. "What were your parents like, then?"

"_I don't remember." _was her blunt response.

I blinked. "…did someone take your memories like you took mine?"

She kept pausing. I don't think she liked answering all these questions, but if she really wanted me to stop talking, she had the power to shut me up. At the very least, she could ignore me. But, again, she answered me. _"No. I suppose I never had any time to make any memories worth stealing. I was raised in the castle, and wormed my way to a position beside the King of our land."_

"Did you love him?" I asked, a bit of a smile twitching at my lips.

"_Of course, everyone adored the King." _She stated matter-of-factly. _"Those who didn't love him were executed."_

"…Oh." I said quietly. I decided it best to steer off of that particular subject. "Did you have any friends?"

"_I had allies and fools that bent to my will." _She snarled, and I knew she was referring to me in a way. _"I had no time or use for 'friends.'"_

We sat there in silence for a while. She didn't seem to have much at all in common with whatever life I seemed to have forgotten. I wanted to know more about her, but then again, I wanted to keep a safe distance from anything that might have something to do with her. I think that was kind of what she was aiming for.

Finally, though, I decided on a question she _had _to have _some _answer for. "…What was your name?"

"_What do you mean what __**was **__it?" _She demanded sharply and a tad sarcastically. _"Has my name changed or vanished without my knowledge and against my will?"_

"Well, no, I guess not." I mumbled, silently relieved that she as least seemed to have an answer—even if she was kind of dodging giving it to me. "You've just… never told me what it was."

"_What business is it of yours?" _The demon snapped, a growl hiding at the edge of her voice.

I shrugged. "I guess it's not. You don't have to tell me if you don't want to. But, it'd be nice if I could call you by your name."

Silence stretched between us, and I determined that she was either ignoring me or had simply found a way to block me out and go to sleep.

And suddenly, without warning, a single word sounded sharply in my mind. It lasted for only a brief instant, and was gone in the next. _"Miinyx." _

I blinked, stunned. "…what?" I asked, shuffling through recent thoughts and miserably groping for the vanishing word. The demon held her firm silence. Finally, though, I found it. "…Miinyx is a lovely name." I decided. "Would you mind me calling you that?"

"…_I suppose not." _She whispered stiffly after quite some time. I smiled at my accomplishment, but decided I had pressed her far enough, and was quiet lucky to still be in one piece. So I went back to staring out the window and keeping my thoughts quiet and my voice silent. After a minute or so, I felt the throbbing in my head ease and I knew she was asleep.

* * *

My feet slapped hard on the ground as I dashed through the corridors as quickly as I could. Miinyx was shrieking at me again, but I ignored her. I couldn't even hear her. It was after nearly a half-hour of running that I found myself in the correct hall. I screeched to a halt and dashed over to the window panes. Nastasia had explained to me that they were one-way vision. I could look into the meeting room and see and hear what was going on, but no one could see me—or even that the wall dissolved into window at some point.

I pressed my face firmly to the glass, searching the pedestals down below. There he was—Dimentio was back.

"…and that is how the ruffians managed to best me…" He gloomily informed the Count, hanging his head in shame. I could tell from here that Dimentio's cloak was tattered, his body beaten, and his pride horribly wounded.

My heart felt a pang of sympathy for the jester. O'Chunks stood behind him, but he didn't look all that sympathetic. None of them did, actually. Of course, we had all expected Dimentio to throw open the chamber doors and saunter into the room and offer Count Bleck the hero's head on a silver platter. No one had even thought he'd drag himself beaten and bruised back to the Count like O'Chunks and I had.

We'd all failed. None of us could beat them.

Dimentio gave a half-hearted chuckle, glancing hopefully up at the Count. "They are strong, to be sure… Dare I say—they may even be strong enough to defy the prophecy!"

Count Bleck waved him off, turning with a dramatic _whoosh _of his cape to begin pacing back and forth on his podium. "Spare Count Bleck your theatrics." He said sharply. The Light Prognosticus is false—the Dark Prognosticus holds any prophecy we may need to halt the uprising of the heroes."

"_Dimentio failed as well, did he?" _I heard my demon snarl, an interest in the conversation seeming to slowly creep over her. _"How curious… I was under the impression he was much stronger than that…"_

My hands clenched into fists. "He is." I declared firmly. "I'll bet those good-for-nothing heroes played dirty just like they did with me. Two against one isn't fair—and now they've got a third one too!"

"_Whatever you say, girl…" _Miinyx hissed, returning to silence to allow me to listen.

"Nastasia!" The Count said sharply, snatching my attention abruptly back to him. "It's time we set _him _on these pests."

Nastasia pulled out her clipboard and jotted something down as she spoke. "Uh, right. I can take care of that for you right away, Count."

"Lovely, exclaimed Count Bleck." And I saw a sinister smile cross his face as he said it. I was curious as to what he meant—and the others seemed to wonder about it as well. However, I saw Dimentio open his mouth to inquire the Count's intentions, but he was cut off by the Count snapping "Return to your posts, minions!"

Dimentio and O'Chunks each gave a sharp "Hail Bleck!"—Dimentio's accompanied by a low bow and O'Chunks' by a sharp salute before the two vanished into the castle.

I started running the moment they were gone. _"Wait, girl!" _Miinyx snapped.

"But, I wanna see Dimmy!" I whined, screeching to a halt despite the fact.

"_Shh!" _She hissed, and I could feel her fidgeting anxiously in my mind. _"That Count of yours is still speaking! What's he saying?"_

Curious, I couldn't help but wander over to the window. "That is enough, Nastasia." The Count said sharply, turning away from the secretary. Nastasia held her place on her pedestal, face downcast as she listened to Count Bleck's words. "We have already come this far, so we _will _forge on!"

The Count paused in his steps, and was silent for a moment. "…you need not stay by Count Bleck's side, though." His voice was softer this time. It took me and Miinyx a moment to determine what she had said. "If you so desire, you may depart now with my blessing."

Nastasia looked shocked to hear that. She quickly shook her head in a violent motion. "Um, no, my Count. I won't be doing that." She curtly informed him. "My life has been sworn to you since the day you saved me… I'll be sticking it out with you until my game ends, 'k?"

There was silence, then Count Bleck solemnly bowed his head. "…if that pleases you." He decided. And with that, he left, Nastasia following soon after.

And with nothing left to hold Miinyx's interest, I had a jester to hunt down.

It was only a few moments of running later when I found Dimentio, only floating away from the meeting room just now. "Dimmy!" I shrieked, flinging myself at him immediately.

He was surprised, and clumsily caught me on reflex alone. "Ah, Mimi! You surprised me!"

"What were you doing in the meeting room?" I questioned, and I was a little uncertain whether it was me or Miinyx that asked it. "I thought the others already left."

"Ah, I had simply forgotten something, my dear." Dimentio explained, setting me on the ground with a bright smile and a pat on my head.

"Did you hear what the Count and Nastasia said?" I demanded instantly. "Do you know what they were talking about?"

Dimentio blinked, and I thought for a moment I saw his smile waver a fraction. "Ah, I'm afraid I haven't the faintest idea, my dear."

"Well, let's go ask 'em!" I cried, bolting past him.

Dimentio was in front of me in the next moment, and before I could blink, I was off the ground, in his arms, and being carried quickly away. "No, no, no, my darling Mimi, I'm afraid we can't do that."

"Why not?" The words shot out of my mouth before I could blink. "Aren't you curious?"

"Extremely." Dimentio assured me. "But, the Count and Nastasia, as I understand it, have a rather… _complex _relationship. It's best for us to stay out of it."

I went silent for a moment. "What happened? Did the Count really save Nastasia's life?"

Dimentio sighed, and I could tell he was getting tired of me. "As far as I can tell, that appears to be what has happened."

"How?" I continued to pester. "What happened?"

"Mimi, darling, as much as I enjoy these conversations…" I knew when a sentence began like that, he was being very sarcastic, and also trying to either shut me up or get rid of me. "…I'm very tired, and in desperate need of a very long nap. Could you possible hold this ridiculous mountain of impossible questions for some other time?"

I sighed, folding my arms over my chest and settling deeper into his arms. "I guess so… I think I'm kinda tired too, actually."

Dimentio smiled down at me. "You're more than welcome to join me in rest, if that would please you, my dear."

I smiled brightly in return. "Sure, Dimmy. Sounds awesome."


	25. Chapter 24

When I woke up, it was the middle of the night. Somehow, we had slept through the entire afternoon. I was still in Dimentio's room, the jester sleeping soundly beside me. I noticed one of his arms hung limply around my waist, and I couldn't help smiling at it.

I turned over and snuggled a little closer to Dimentio while he slept. I blinked in surprise, realizing he didn't smile when he was asleep. I'd seen him frown once or twice, but I was under the impression he couldn't help but smile. Still, he did look peaceful. He really must have been exhausted—I'd never seen him quite like this.

I felt sorry for him, so I let him continue sleeping while I looked around the room. Everything was dark—it _was _the middle of the night, after all—but the objects themselves were very dark in color. He didn't seem to have strayed much from the room's original design—all black with white trim. Every now and again, there would be a flash of color. Occasionally, an article of his clothing would stand out, or the purple curtains around the window, or the sparkling yellow diamonds that hung on invisible strings from the ceiling.

"_Where are we?" _A cold voice demanded deep within my mind. She wasn't even fully awake yet—she just panicked at the immediate knowledge that she was somewhere unfamiliar.

_We're in Dimmy's room. _I thought, fearful that speaking aloud would wake Dimentio and cause him to think I was a freak. _I took a nap with him, cause we needed some rest after all this hero-battle._

She was silent for a moment, then a splitting headache hit me full-force as she snapped straight past awake and into panic-mode. _"You slept with that disgusting little rat? Repulsive! Get us out of here immediately!"_

_No! _I thought desperately, my hands gripping the blankets around me in a feeble attempt to remain anchored down. _C'mon, nothing happened! We just took a nap, that's all!_

Miinyx made no reply, other than a loud, violent hiss that echoed through my mind and grated against my ears. I must have flinched at it, because next thing I knew, Dimentio made a small noise and began to move around. I held my breath, knowing I had woken him and afraid of it for a reason I couldn't logically place. Slowly, two eyes blinked open into very tired slits with droopy lids. His black eye was hidden deep in the pillows, and his yellow one glowed at me in the dark. "…Mimi?" He mumbled softly. "Are you alright?"

I smiled and gently nodded my head. "Yeah, I'm fine." I whispered sweetly. "Did I wake ya up, sleepy-head?"

"I believe you may have…" He answered, and I saw a small smile playing at his lips. "…have you any idea what the time is?"

I shrugged, rustling the covers around me. "It's late. I think we slept 'til nighttime."

Upon hearing that, Dimentio allowed himself a smile and closed his eyes again, nestling deeper into the pillows and blankets. "Well, no point in getting up now, is there?" He murmured sleepily.

I laughed, ducking out from under his arm to scoot away from him. "I should probably go back to my room."

Dimentio cracked his eyes open to frown and stare at me. "…why?" He asked after a moment. "Will someone be coming to miss you?"

"_Say yes." _Miinyx demanded. I sent her a silent command to shut up before offering Dimentio a reply. "No, I guess not."

Before I could say anything else, his arm was around me again, and with a firm yank, he had me pulled right up against his chest. "Then do my weary heart a favor and stay here for one night." Dimentio said as he snuggled tighter around me. Miinyx made a repulsive noise, and I could feel her trying to twist herself into a small corner of my mind so she wouldn't touch the part of my skull lying on Dimentio's chest. I told her to get over it, happily settling into place in Dimentio's arms.

"Nassy'd be mad if she knew I was in here…" I said aloud, only halfway concerned about the matter.

"Indeed." Dimentio agreed. "Then, it is very fortunate for us that dear Nasty shall never find out."

I gave a short, soft laugh, holding onto Dimentio's poncho as we drifted back into sleep. It was strange, I couldn't help thinking. Dimentio's hands were very cold without his gloves. But this one spot, right here on his chest, was very warm.

* * *

After sleeping an entire afternoon away, Dimentio and I could only manage a few hours each for our nighttime rest. Noting the time at about three o'clock in the morning, we laid in bed and spoke in soft whispers to each other over matters of utmost importance and also over nothing at all. After a moment, my internal clock must have decided that if it was going to be confused, it may as well be confused on all parts, and my stomach gave a low rumble. Had it not caught Dimentio's attention as well, I would have thought it was only Miinyx growling at me again.

Luckily, Dimentio is pretty much the best guy ever, so once my stomach interrupted our conversation, he suggested we go down and have some middle-of-the-night breakfast, before anyone else in the house was awake enough to come bother us. I smiled, and immediately agreed.

A few minutes of wandering the halls later, we found our way to the kitchen, and crept silently inside. I scampered behind the counters in hopes of impressing Dimentio with the breakfast-making skills Nastasia had taught me. My efforts were halted, however, as he grabbed my waist, set me down on one of the barstools, and politely informed me that there was no need for a delicate lady to work her fingers to the bone when there was someone around who was _perfectly _willing to wait on her hand and foot.

And, golly, what could I do but smile and blush and giggle like a stupid girl at that? Nothing. So I sat there with a stupid smile and continued chatting with him as Dimentio went about expertly preparing the most beautiful, perfect pair of omelets I had ever laid eyes on.

"So, do you just do _everything _perfect?" I asked coyly, twirling my fingers in my pigtail. "And is that from practice, or is it just because you're Dimentio?"

Dimentio laughed at that, smiling brightly at me as he continued cooking. "I'll take that as a compliment, my dear, but I assure you I am _far _from perfect… that you see me as such, however, does mean a great deal to me."

I smiled. "You're just good at _everything_…" I sighed dreamily. "I wish I could be like you."

He laughed again—and I marveled at what a beautiful sound it always happened to be. "Perhaps, in time, you very well could be. But, tell me, my darling, why would you so desire to be like one such as I?"

I replayed the question again and again in my mind, reflecting on his elegant style of speech, and it was a few moments before I actually realized that what he had said required a response on my part. "…because you're just… amazing…" I said, and it came out sort of in a longing sigh.

Dimentio gave me a beautiful, gentle smile. "If that is so, then I assure you, you are already there and well past, my dearest Mimi…"

I blushed and giggled again. "Stop it!" I cried. "You're just saying that!"

"Far from it, darling…" He gently assured me. "You are a beautiful young lady, and clever and powerful on top of that. You are _truly _exceptional."

I smiled, leaning closer to him. "Golly, I bet you say that to _all _the girls." I joked.

He laughed and winked at me. "Only those who capture my attention—which, mind you, is a rather difficult feat to accomplish."

I smiled and laughed, allowing us to sit in silence for a moment as I continued watching Dimentio perfectly prepare breakfast as though he had done it every morning his entire life. Suddenly, out of seemingly nowhere, my memories flooded with my conversation I had held with Miinyx earlier. I'm sure she did this on purpose, because I realized immediately what she was intending for me to do, but I fell for it anyway, and suddenly, I was curious. "Say, Dimmy… where are you from?"

Dimentio smiled at me. "Before Castle Bleck, I presume?"

I nodded, and he laughed lightly before he answered. "Believe it or not, before I came here… I lived in the same world our dear Count Bleck came from."

I titled my head to one side. I had thought that Nastasia and the Count _must _have met there, because they looked pretty much the same. Dimentio didn't look anything like either one of them. But, if the Count's story was right—about Blumiere and Timpani—then the only other type of people there were humans. I'd seen a lot of different ones, but Dimentio was _far _too beautiful to be human. "But, you don't look like anyone there."

Dimentio shrugged. "And how would you know? Have you ever dwelt in that dimension?" I shook my head, and he continued, waving his spatula in a circle around my nose. "Come to think of it, _you _never looked very much like any of the people in your world either."

I pouted. "That's different." I snapped, trying to shut up Miinyx's snickering at the back of my mind. "My demon made me this way."

Dimentio gave me a mischievous look and a sly smile. "Are you so certain no one has done anything to _my _form?"

I lowered my head. "Oh… I guess I didn't think of that." I mumbled sheepishly. "What did you look like before?"

Dimentio shrugged carelessly as he scooped our omelets out onto two different plates and floated around the counter to serve me and pour us some juice. "I appeared only like a long-forgotten memory—with perhaps a vague recollection of something I never again wish to become. I changed for the better when my form was altered, and I fully intend to never return to what I once was."

I picked up a fork as he spoke and took a bite of my omelet. It tasted exactly how it looked—perfect. "Well… I'm glad you're happy now, at least."

"And what of yourself?" He prompted, taking a bite of his own creation. "Things have certainly changed in your life… would you say for better, or perhaps for worse?"

I smiled at him. "I think better." I said immediately.

Dimentio blinked at me. "…even though you are entirely alone? Though a demon plagues your mind, and had changed who you are, and forces you to become a monster? Though as a small child you have undergone more tragedy than most adults?"

I thought about what he said for a moment. "…well, I don't remember who I was or where I came from… so I guess I can't miss what I never really had… and yeah, things were bad for a while… but now, I feel like everything is finally looking up." I met the jester's disbelieving eyes and the baffled (admittedly, outright _stunned_) look he was giving me, and smiled brightly. "I feel like I'm home. I don't remember ever having a family—but I feel like it'd be sorta like this, ya know?"

Dimentio was silent for a while, but slowly, his expression softened, and he smiled gently at me with a somewhat admiring glow in his eyes. "That's very brave of you, Mimi… to come out of such an experience and find something worth living for… I'm very honored that you would count us as your family, and I hope sincerely that we are living up to expectations."

"Definitely ." I assured him. We were just about to continue with our conversation when a small noise interrupted us. Its wasn't terribly loud—only the soft creaking as a large door in the room was opened. However, in the deafening silence of the impossibly early morning, it was loud enough to effectively capture our full attention. Turning to investigate the source of the noise, and the intruder that had caused it, we found Nastasia stepping gently into the room, looking just as surprised to see us as we were to see her.

Of course, she being Nastasia, it wasn't very like her at all to laze about in her pajamas. She was already dressed in her usual attire with her hair fixed exactly so, even though it was still the ungodly hour of five o'clock in the morning. I wasn't really _surprised _to see her like that, but I was suddenly very aware that Dimentio and I must have looked rather foolish lazing around in our nightclothes.

"…uh, what are you two doing up so early?" Nastasia said—softly, but sharply—as she shut the door and slowly approached us.

Dimentio flashed her a wide smile, and I noted it was much different than the one he often displayed for me. He spun around fully to face her, resting his elbows on the counter and crossing one leg elegantly over the other. "Ah, a very good morning to you as well, Nastasia. Forgive me—we did not intend to intrude upon your morning routines, but Mimi and I awoke rather early today, and with nothing else to do, we decided to come down for a bite to eat."

"Uh-huh…" Nastasia said, adjusting her glasses. She stopped walking, pausing directly in front of Dimentio, though obviously at a carefully measured distance. "That didn't answer my question, though… Why did you, um, wake up so early?"

Dimentio waved a hand about in the air, as if brushing aside such an insignificant question. "Nothing of utmost importance, if that is what you are implying… we simply retired to bed a tad too early, and such being the case, awoke at a truly unreasonable hour of the morning and could _not _go back to sleep."

Nastasia held his cool gaze for a moment, then turned to face me. "Mimi? How did you know Dimentio was awake as well?"

I glanced over to the jester for a fraction of a second—only long enough to see the way he was looking and smiling at me. "I didn't." I lied. "I got bored, so I was walking around the castle. I bumped into him in one of the halls, then we came here."

"Look—I even fed the dear child." Dimentio bragged, waving his hand over our now-emptied breakfast plates. "I like to think I was being rather responsible for her, don't you?"

Something in Nastasia's expression shifted, though I couldn't tell what it was. "…I'm not sure how I feel about you crossing your schedule with Mimi's." she said after some length of time.

Dimentio rolled his head back, giving a sigh of feigned frustration. "Oh, always schedules and plans and such with you… You, Nastasia dear, need to be more… _spontaneous_… live for the moment every now and again."

Nastasia made a short noise of disapproval, shaking her head at the jester. "Perhaps _you _ought to try sorting things out once in a while. Then, maybe you wouldn't be such a mess all the time."

Dimentio gave her a devious smirk, and I could see that tiny hint of evil hiding in the corner of his eyes. "…are you implying that I am not at all sorted-out, _Nasty? _I may very well have my entire life completely planned out in some obscure, hidden-away file—and perhaps I have plans for little Mimi's life, or your blithering O'Chunks', or our dear Count's, or perhaps even _yours_…"

Nastasia's lips pressed firmly together, and she seemed to be getting angrier. I wanted to interrupt—I really hated seeing two of my friends fight. However, Miinyx was sitting at the back of my mind making me shut up and sit still so we could listen to their argument and they wouldn't throw me out. "I honestly have no doubt you do, Dimentio…" Nastasia seethed, coming just a single step closer to him. "I'm sure the Count would be _very _interested to know you have such plans stored away…"

Dimentio continued staring at her for a split second longer, then suddenly, his expression shifted to bright eyes and an innocent smile. He tilted his head to one side and politely asked, "What plans? I'm afraid I haven't the faintest idea what you're talking about, dearest Nastasia."

The secretary continued to stare at him, and then we reached the inevitable. She turned sharply to me, pointed towards the door, and snapped, "Mimi. Outside." I opened my mouth to protest, but was cut off by the word "Go." So, I shut up and went.

As soon as the doors were closed behind me, and no one was around to judge whether or not I was a freak, Miinyx took control. She whipped me around mid-step and plastered the side of my head right against the door. It didn't do her much good, though. She couldn't hear anything for the thickness of the wood. Had they been screaming at each other like a fight _should _have gone, I'm sure we wouldn't have had _any _trouble listening in. However, Dimentio and Nastasia had a very peculiar way of fighting. They simply hissed at each other in vicious whispers, and all that we could make out was the occasional dull muffle of a word they had emphasized—though, even then, it was impossible to determine what that word _was_.

Hearing her growl of surrender, I took back control and slowly pulled us away from the door. "Sorry, Miinyx…" I whispered as I began the slow trek back through the castle to reach my bedroom. "Maybe we can talk to Dimmy later?"

"_Oh no…" _She hissed, and I knew that tone she was using. _"We're finding this out __**immediately**__."_

_Great… _I inwardly sighed as she forced me to sprint off down the halls. The only thing worse than an _angry _Miinyx was a _determined _one. This was going to be a _long _day.


	26. Chapter 25

Two hours later found me sitting in one of the fifty thousand zillion rooms in the Castle I had no idea even existed before this particular moment in time. Today's room of such sorts happened to be a kind of gym, where I had found O'Chunks lifting massive weights. I had apologized for interrupting him, but he seemed glad enough for the company, and allowed me to sit on one of the benches and swing my legs and chat with him as he continued working out.

"I guess you're getting ready to face the heroes again?" I asked, titling my head to one side.

"Aye—I won't let some puny 'eroes best me again!" O'Chunks cried determinedly. "Tha next time we meet, I'll show 'em who dey're _really _messin' with! Dat no-good Maria and his friends made a 'uge mistake messin' with me Blecky boy!"

I blinked at him, only continuing to swing my legs back and forth. I could hear Miinyx groaning in agony—she had apparently forgotten what a chore it was to hold conversation with O'Chunks. "I think his name's _Mario_." I gently corrected.

"'at's what aye said—were ye not listenin', lass?" O'Chunks said, looking over at me like there was something wrong with the way _I _was speaking.

I decided to let the matter drop—the name sounded funnier the way he said it anyway. "I guess I wasn't—my bad."

"Aye, 'at's a'right, lassie…" He sighed, placing the weight back on the bar over his head and sitting upright.

I watched him stretch for a moment, then asked, "So, when is the Count sending you after the heroes again?"

O'Chunks shook his head. "He ha'not told me yet. We dunno _who's _'e's gonna send—so I'm gonna be ready jus' in case he sends meh."

I nodded in understanding. "Oh, yeah. That totally makes sense. I should probably be training too, in case he picks me again."

O'Chunks grinned his stupid, toothy grin at me, patting the weights with a large hand. "Yeh could try bulkin' up, if yeh like. Dose 'eroes won't have no trouble with a lil' stick like yeh."

I blushed at that, jumping up immediately on my feet. "Are you saying I'm scrawny or something? Because I'm totally not! Besides, I fight with my monster and my rubees anyway, so it's not like I _need _to be super strong."

O'Chunks shrugged, holding up his hands apologetically. "Sorry, lass… I din' mean to upset yeh… if yeh haven't the strength to build up some mus—"

"Alright, that's it, move over." I barked, waving him aside and hopping up onto the weight-training bench.

"Ah, lass…" O'Chunks said gently, catching my hand to stop me as I reached for the weight. "Per'aps yeh 'ought to start with somethin' a bit _lighter_…"

I smacked his hand sharply, grabbing onto the bar anyway. "Whatever. I can totally do this—it doesn't look that hard."

I got a good grip on the bar, looking like I was really bracing myself to exert a whole lot of muscle and effort and all that stuff. Really, all I did was think _Hey, Miinyx… wanna help me scare him a little?_

"_Oh, I would be simply __**delighted**__…" _She hissed with pleasure. Excellent, she seemed to be helping me. Now, one of two things were about to happen. Either I would lift up the bar with as much ease and half the effort of O'Chunks, or Miinyx would allow me to raise the bar over my head, then decide at the last second that she was in a sadistic mood today and allow it to fall and crush me flat.

Holding my breath, admittedly, a little nervous, I gripped the bar and pushed upwards. I felt Miinyx's form leave my mind, and felt a tingling ache in my arms that signified one-too-many-beings occupying a certain area of myself. She raised the bar up completely off the rack, right over my head, held it for exactly five seconds, and promptly flung it clear across the room. O'Chunks stared at us, Miinyx giving a sigh of satisfaction as she settled back into my headache. She had no physical form, so I'm sure it felt good to actually put some force behind something every now and then.

"Harble _deh_…" O'Chunks finally breathed. "Yeh don't look _'alf _'at strong…"

"Well, appearances can be deceiving, O'Chunks…" I said smugly, sitting up and stretching as if it were no big deal that I had just thrown an object twenty times my weight to the other end of the room. He sat down on the opposite bench, apparently deciding that rather than questioning me and trying to figure me out, he might be best to just let the matter drop and accept things as they were. We sat there in silence for a moment, then I decided to satisfy Miinyx's curiosity. "Hey, can I ask you something?"

"Ah… I suppose…" O'Chunks said nervously, scratching at the back of his head.

I titled my head to one side, trying to appear as nothing more than an innocent little girl with a sudden case of curiosity. "What do you know about Nastasia and Dimentio?"

O'Chunks shrugged, not entirely to my surprise. ""Ere's not much to know about 'em, lass… Why do yeh ask?"

I shrugged, swinging my legs playfully. "I dunno…" I mumbled, twirling a finger around one of my pigtails. "Doesn't it just seem like there's something going on between them? I mean, I know they don't really like each other… but do you have any idea why? Did Nastasia tell you anything happened?"

O'Chunks shook his head at me. "No, aye 'aven't 'eard a thing… Yeh migh' be better off askin' Dimentio yerself… aren't yeh and the jester close?"

I blinked, freezing suddenly. "…um… well, I… I dunno… I guess we are…"

O'Chunks grinned again. "Yeh _guess? _Are yeh or no?"

I shook my head furiously, shaking my pigtails all over the place. "Not like that!" I said immediately. "We're just friends, O'Chunks. Honest!"

He laughed at me. "If yeh say so, lassie… but, lissen… do meh a favor and be careful, alrigh'? There's somethin' abou' that jester tha' just don' sit righ' with meh…"

I nodded. "Gotcha. I'm totally careful, like, all the time." I declared, hopping down from the bench and brushing off my skirt. I then smiled brightly and waved good-bye as I skipped out of the room. "I'll see ya later, O'Chunks!" He bid me farewell, then I shut the door behind me and paused for a moment, waiting in the silence of the gloomy halls.

"…_Plan B?" _I heard Miinyx whisper, a hint of hope at the edge of her voice.

I sighed heavily, shoving off the door and sprinting off again while simultaneously cursing this stupid curiosity trail she'd gotten me on now. "Plan B." I agreed.

* * *

"Count Bleck!" I cried dramatically, tackling into him and throwing my arms around his body. "Golly, Count, I haven't seen you in forever!"

The Count gave a short laugh, patting me on top of my head. "Indeed… you surprised Count Bleck, Mimi… _do _try to remain a tad calmer whilst wandering such silent halls."

"Okay, Count." I chirped, stepping back and giving him a little half-bow like I often saw Dimentio do. "So, what are you up to today?"

"Only plotting our next course of action against these pesky heroes…" He said—half to himself, half to me—as he continued on his way down the corridor.

I bounced happily after him, having to take rather long strides to keep up with him. It was the same with Dimentio, but he usually slowed down and let me catch up. "Aw, don't worry about it, Count!" I said cheerfully. "I just _know _you'll get 'em! Those stupid heroes can't stop you!"

Count Bleck turned and smiled softly at me. "_Clearly_, you are bursting with the need to tell me something… whatever could have you so riled up, Mimi?"

I giggled stupidly. "Well, since you _asked_… Do you know what's up with Dimentio and Nastasia?"

The Count sighed tiredly, as if he had just been reminded of a very difficult task that still needed completing. "Numerous things…" He stated bluntly. "Both in each individual, and in their relationship together… to which aspect in particular were you referring?"

I smiled brightly, and heard Miinyx give a shout of victory somewhere in the back of my mind. "Their relationship." I clarified. "I know they really don't like each other, but why? I'm friends with both of them, and they're both really sweet and nice."

There was a pause, and then the Count turned to me with a knowing smile. "…and why suddenly so curious, Mimi? Have you been prowling around in matters that are no concern of yours?"

I shook my head immediately. "No, of course not, Count! It's kinda hard to miss, if you haven't noticed… They fight all the time, and when we're at breakfast… they just… _glare _at each other…"

Count Bleck nodded his head, giving a light chuckle at the thought. "They both can take petty arguments to the extreme with one another…"

"Yeah!" I agreed. "So, you know what I mean! Why are they like that? Do they really hate each other?"

The Count sighed. "In a way, Count Bleck supposes that would be an accurate statement…"

I titled my head to one side, relieved that he was slowing down a bit. "Why is that? Did something happen between them?"

"…not any major event in particular… more a series of insignificant events they both apparently latched onto." Count Bleck droned in a bored sort of way. "It began, if memory serves, shortly after Nastasia first joined Count Bleck in his quest… After some time, we happened upon Dimentio."

"And she just immediately didn't like him?" I interrupted. I received a warning look from the Count, and took that as my cue to remain silent.

"Actually…" He said, his voice taking a suddenly sharper tone as if he had only just now thought of something. "Count Bleck very well may have been at fault in beginning this rivalry…"

My eyes widened a bit at hearing that, and I thought I even heard Miinyx give a small noise of peaked interest. "_You _made them like that? Golly, how'd you do that, Count?"

"Not on purpose, Count Bleck assures you…" He said, waving his cane at me. "Before Nastasia… joined this mission, Dimentio had already approached Count Bleck on the matter… He insisted that he had heard tale of the Dark Prognosticus—which, had he dwelt in the area for any amount of time, he would have—and he tried to warn of the evil powers it held."

I blinked at him. "Really?" I asked stupidly. "So, then he joined you too, right?"

"Well, he attempted to. Count Bleck denied him the opportunity at first." He informed me, gazing off into the distance. Something about the way he said that last sentence made me regret asking him in the first place. "When he came along the second time, Nastasia was there to witness Count Bleck deny him again, reminding him that he was not trusted."

I slowly nodded, understanding slowly washing over me. "Oooh, I get it… So, Nastasia decided she didn't _trust _Dimentio, because she knew you didn't… "

Count Bleck nodded his head in return, smiling grimly at the mere thought of events past. "And she's never trusted him since the third time he approached Count Bleck and was accepted as last…"

I smiled, at last feeling like I knew what was really going on around here. Of course, there were still far more mysteries around Castle Bleck waiting to be solved, but at least this was a step in the right direction. I turned to thank the Count for his help in the matter, and it was then that I noticed something over in the shadows at the end of the hall. Noticing my distraction, the Count turned as well and saw the very same thing. "…Dimentio."

Indeed, the jester was standing there at the end of the hall, nearly masked by the shadows. He scared me at first, standing there, staring—nearly _glaring _at the Count and me. Slowly, a devious smile curled across his face, and he floated towards us. "Oh no, please, don't let me interrupt… the two of you must have been having such a _riveting _conversation, I'm sure…"

The Count narrowed his eyes at Dimentio. "That's quite alright, I believe we were finished speaking anyway… Did you need something, Dimentio?"

The jester stopped floating before us, resting a gloved hand on my shoulder. "If you are _quite _finished with her, I only needed to borrow my little Mimi for a while…"

For some reason I couldn't place, the Count let a short laugh slip before he quickly recovered. "Could you be implying that Mimi belongs to you, Dimentio?"

His smile twitched a little when he heard that. "…of course not, my dear Count… simply a pet title for the child—only a petty nickname, I assure you…"

I took the opportunity—apparently—to use up my stupid moment of the day and looked directly up at Dimentio and said—stupidly and bluntly, "Actually, Dimentio… I'm _Count Bleck's _minion, aren't I? So, if I'm anybody's, aren't I his?"

I immediately had three different signs that this was entirely the wrong thing to say, because all at the same time, Dimentio's smile fell to a frown, Count Bleck smiled just a tiny bit wider, and Miinyx erupted in a black of hysterical, uncontrollable laughter. She often did that when I messed things up that didn't directly harm her plans.

Dimentio tightened his grip on my shoulder. "…might I have your _permission _to borrow Mimi then, my dearest Count?" he seethed, a tad sarcastically.

The Count smiled gently, nodding his head. I could've sworn he was fighting the urge to laugh. "But, of course. Take good care of her, now!" He called after us—Dimentio was pulling me away as quickly as he could before the sentence was even out of his mouth.


	27. Chapter 26

_So sorry to interrupt our tale—just a quick note. _

_In the last chapter, Count Bleck made reference to the story of how Dimentio joined his team. I wrote the scene indicating that Dimentio requested to join Bleck __**three **__times, and was then accepted. However, one of my lovely watchers pointed out that they thought Dimentio only asked __**twice **__before Bleck accepted him._

_I looked the event up on Mariowiki (a very trustworthy source, I've found so far) and they mentioned that Dimentio was denied permission to join the first time, but __**later **__accepted. It never specified how many times he actually had to confront the Count. If anyone has better information than this, I would greatly appreciate your help in sorting this out. Thank you!_

* * *

"Golly, Dimentio, slow down!" I cried desperately, tripping clumsily after his as he rushed down the halls. "What's the matter with you?"

The jester glanced at me over his shoulder, but never slowed his pace by the tiniest fraction. I was starting to get a little unnerved at his behavior—I couldn't quite recall the last time I'd seen him act this way, or even if I ever had. I could feel Miinyx growing very angry at the back of my mind. I speculated the only reason she hadn't forced me to attack the jester yet was her developing curiosity towards what exactly he was doing.

Finally, we reached Dimentio's hall of mirrors. He quickly found the trick mirror, swung it open, and pulled me inside before slamming it shut behind us. Before I could blink, I was thrown into the jester's bedroom, catching myself on his bed. I only turned around in time to see him slam the door shut. He was leaning against it, his back deliberately to me, breathing rather heavily. I had to admit, I was starting to get a little scared.

Finally, he turned to face me, and there was nothing but rage and hatred in his eyes. I had seen them look sort of like that once before, where they had intentionally made me afraid of him. This looked different though. This looked like he had every intent of hurting me.

"…Mimi." He seethed quietly, turning fully to slowly float towards me. "Tell me… are you under some sort of _delusion _that the Count has ownership of you?"

I shook my head immediately, more out of fear than considering it to be the correct answer. "No, not really…" I mumbled sheepishly.

Dimentio settled his feet on the floor, stooping over so his face was right in front of mine. When he spoke, it was only a vicious whisper, hissed through his teeth. "Then _what_, pray tell, could possibly prompt you to make such a ridiculous claim?"

"You mean what I said to the Count?" I asked stupidly, shrugging my shoulders. "Well, I mean… I am his minion, aren't I?"

Dimentio gave a sharp hiss, closing his eyes and looking away from me for a brief moment. "You _work _for him, Mimi… he has no _ownership _of you. Do you see the difference there?"

I slowly shook my head. Why Miinyx seemed content to sit there in the back of my mind and allow me to endure this was beyond me. "Not really." I admitted. "I'm _his _minion. Doesn't that mean he owns me?"

"No." Dimentio snapped loudly, his sudden sharpness making me jump considerably. "He has no right or claim to you. You've never sold your soul to him, have you?"

I shook my head again. "Then how _dare _you allow him to assume that you belong to him! How dare _you _assume such a thing you _stupid _girl!"

I trembled, backing up against his bed with tears in my eyes. "In _fact…_" Dimentio went on, dropping his voice back to that low whisper as he glared dangerously at me. "_I _was the one who rescued you, was I not? You should be swearing eternal allegiance to _me _if anyone. Had I known you would just go _throwing _your loyalty around like this, I may have just left you alone on that miserable dimension to _die!_"

"No!" I shrieked, suddenly crying. "I'm sorry—I didn't think I did anything wrong!" I sobbed, trying miserably to wipe away the endless flow of tears. "Why is it such a big deal to you? Don't you love the Count too?"

Dimentio faltered. His lip twitched into a menacing snarl as he continued to glare unmercifully at me. "_That _is not the point, Mimi. The point is you are making yourself _disgustingly _loyal to that Count by binding yourself to him."

I blinked through the tears at him. "…Dimentio… aren't you loyal to Count Bleck?"

He scoffed, rolling his eyes at me. "Yes, Mimi, loyal as a _chomp _to its _chain_. _What _does that have to do with _anything?_"

I sniffled. "I don't get why you're mad that I'm loyal too… I mean, aren't we supposed to be? He's our master, a—"

Suddenly, I was on the ground. My face stung, I was reeling in shock, and my only clue as to what had happened was Miinyx screaming until my head rang _"__**How dare he lay a hand on me?**__" _Dimentio had hit me, I realized with sickening horror.

I looked up at him, silent, stunned, heartbroken tears streaming down my face as I gently laid a hand to my aching cheek. He glared at me, grinding his teeth together as he clenched the hand that had struck me into a fist. "How _dare _you imply that I _belong _to him…" He hissed violently, trembling in rage as he floated towards me. I tried to back away, but he caught my dress and pulled me back beneath him as he leaned over me. "Listen to me, girl… if you _ever _say something so foolish to me again, I assure you, it will be the _last _mistake you _ever _make… do I make myself clear?"

I nodded miserably, whimpering in fear. Dimentio had never treated me this way before. And now Miinyx was yelling at me on top of it all—_"If you weren't such a sniveling, disgusting little __**brat**__, he wouldn't think twice about us fighting back! You ruin everything for me!"_

I lost it then, simply curling into a ball and screaming and sobbing. I didn't care if Miinyx screamed so loud she cracked my skull. I didn't care if Dimentio hit me until I couldn't move. I honestly couldn't care less about anything in the world. Everything just hurt, and I couldn't understand why. I didn't want to understand. I just wanted to wake up suddenly, like it was all a horrible nightmare.

I got the next best thing. Miinyx obviously grew tired of my sobbing, promptly yanking me off the ground and forcing me to bolt out of the room. I didn't resist—I didn't want to be there anymore.

* * *

Countless hours later, far too late in the evening for me to still be awake, I was still lying on my bed, crying miserably. At least I had stopped sobbing some time ago, my tears quieting to silent streams that rolled down my face. I was still curled up on my bed, staring blankly out the window and not really seeing the dark, thundering sky outside.

"_Are we feeling better?" _Miinyx lightly questioned, in a tone that sounded foreign to her voice.

I shrugged, curling up a bit tighter. "Not… really…"

"_There, there…" _She cooed, and I could feel her form shifting around, as if she wished to wrap herself around me. _"It isn't every day that one first has their heart broken…"_

I sniffled. "…Did you… ever get _your _heart broken?"

"_No." _She said bluntly. After pausing a moment at my sudden silence, Miinyx sighed lightly. _"Would satisfying some of your pestering curiosity ease your annoying suffering?"_

"…it might help." I meekly whispered.

"_Very well." _She decided with a light, short breath. _"What would you like to hear tale of?"_

I thought a very long time. She didn't often present me with an opportunity like this—hardly ever, actually—and I wanted to make the most of it. Finally, I decided on an answer. "You mentioned that you weaseled your way next to the king, or something… how did that happen?"

"_Mmm… an interesting event that has peaked your interest…" _Miinyx observed—but, finding no dark motive behind my curiosity, granted me an answer. _"Well, I was born as a peasant. Not the lowliest of our land—actually, my family was of very high rank. However, in my peoples' tradition, anyone who is not a royal is a peasant, and is therefore inferior."_

"So you wanted to get up higher." I filled in, wiping away my tears and rolling over onto my back. I was starting to calm down a little, actually. "And the only way to do that was to be close to a royal."

"_Ah, you're a clever girl, aren't you?" _She noted, and I blushed at the rarely-received compliment. _"Yes, that was precisely my plan."_

I nodded in understanding. "Gotcha. But, if you were so inferior, how did you get so close to the kind of your whole land?"

"_Well, it didn't begin on purpose…" _Miinyx said slowly. _"For assumed conspiring against the king, my parents were thrown into the dungeons to be executed. I was seized then—at a very young age—as what was called a 'dungeon brat'. These children were born to execution-destined parents, and were sent to work as slaves in the castle."_

Admittedly, I gaped at that, in utter shock. "…you were a slave, Miinyx?"

She groaned at the memory. _"Yes, in a way, I suppose I was… I was an attendant in the grand dining hall, in charge of serving meals and cleaning up when a feast was held, and put to work scrubbing the kitchen when one was not."_

"Is that when you talked to the king?" I wondered, trying to keep the story moving for fear she would suddenly lose interest in entertaining me and stop talking.

"_Well, it wasn't the first I'd heard of him, but yes, that was where I first made his acquaintance." _Miinyx elaborated. _"I had heard that our king—only the prince at the time—had a habit of picking up his personal favorites of the slaves, and keeping closer company to them. So, I made it a priority to get on his good side."_

"And I guess that worked, huh?" I presumed.

Miinyx sighed. _"Not entirely, at first. It was hard to get myself noticed when I was forbidden to so much as look him in the eyes without permission."_

"So, what made him finally notice you?" I prompted eagerly. "How'd you get his attention?"

"_Well, actually… I didn't exactly capture his attention on purpose… some of the castle guards caught me building machines—which I had done in secret, because it was forbidden for me to do __**anything **__outside of what I had been instructed." _Miinyx gave a sharp, almost pained sigh. _"…it was one of the few moments in my life I recall being afraid. I was older then… not an adult, but old enough to fully comprehend approaching death."_

I scrunched my face up. "But you didn't die." I objected. Then, recalling her lack of physical form, I reconsidered. "…or… did you?"

"_Not at all—__**no **__demon can hold physicality in any dimension besides our own." _She explained casually, picking up on my wayward thought. _"I thought I would be killed though. I was brought before the king and the prince, and just before the king sentenced me to death, the prince demanded to see what I had built. My machines were brought before him, and as fantastic luck would have it, he __**adored **__them. He took me immediately out from the dining slaves and demanded that I continued to build these things for him."_

My thoughts turned suddenly to the monster form she had given me. "That's how you got so into robotics, right?"

"_Precisely." _She said with a small sigh of pleasure. _"I was only able to build small, simplistic things at best. After allying myself with our present king, though, he gifted me with an incredible resource of parts and research—I began to build fully-functioning destroyers for him."_

"Okay…" I stated suddenly. My mind now completely off of my previous encounter with Dimentio, I was taking advantage of Miinyx's talkative mood to sort out as much as I could. "So, how did you make me turn into a robot you built?"

Miinyx groaned at that. _"It's a complex system of magic I don't entirely know how to explain. Through a great number of spells and tricks I've long-since forgotten, I was able to transform your body into that of a shape-shifter. Once that horrible ordeal was complete, you were able to transform yourself into any form you had ever seen before in your life."_

"Right, I knew that last bit." I confirmed with a nod of my head. "But, how did you make me able to turn into the monster?"

"_Well, it was my influence over your mind that did that." _She drawled in a bored sort of way, as if the concept were very simple and I was an idiot for failing to comprehend. _"Using the same methods that I used to dump out your useless memories, I inserted a new one of the monster I had built. This allowed you to tap into the memory and transform."_

I tilted my head slightly. "…why did you do that? Dump out all my memories I mean?"

I felt a sense of throbbing and aching in my skull as Miinyx shifted frantically around in my mind. _"Why else do you suppose? There's hardly enough room in here for the both of us as it is, and that's with your stupid mind all but empty." _She sighed suddenly. _"Unfortunately—for you, anyway—that is also how you came to possess your present form. After I turned you into the monster, I had already rid you of __**all **__your memories. Once I instructed you to revert back to your original form. The one you possess is close in structure, but I had accidently rid you of significant details, so you naturally filled them in with the form you had just possessed a moment ago."_

I nodded slowly, understanding crashing over me. "That's why I look so much like the monster." I breathed quietly. "That makes so much sense!"

"_Well, if you understand that mess of horrid nonsense, I suppose it does." _Miinyx sighed.

"So, Miinyx…" I began my next question, eager to keep her talking. I had never felt so in-control of myself as I did right then. "Why did you destroy all the people on my home dimension?"

She huffed, not sounding at all interested in the question. _"I am a sadist." _She replied simply. _"I enjoy the slow, tortured death of others—especially if it can be accomplished in worldwide obliteration."_

I nodded, my mind quickly scrambling for another question. "…why though?" I insisted. "You just decided 'hey, I think I'll go kill somebody today?'"

"_For the king's sake, girl." _Miinyx hissed, and I could tell she was growing tired of tolerating me. _"I was bloody __**bored**__. I've been bored every day of my life ever since I entered your miserable dimension."_

"…why _did _you come here?" I slowly, quietly asked.

Miinyx was silent for a very long time. When she spoke, her only reply was—_"Go to sleep, Mimi."_


	28. Chapter 27

Surprisingly, I slept soundly through the night, with no nightmares or troubles at all. Miinyx allowed me to sleep much later than usual, and I thought her very kind for it, until I awoke and realized she was still asleep. She had simply been too exhausted to properly abuse me.

Still, I took the gift with a pleased smile, and laid comfortably and quietly in the silence for a number of hours before I decided to get up and get ready for the day. I tried on at least fifteen dresses and three costumes, admiring myself in the mirror for a minimum of ten minutes each. At last, I decided on a plain purple gown with pink on the trim, and with nothing better to do, I dug up my sketches for a dress modeled after the Count's book and set to work creating it.

At just after noon, Miinyx had awoken, but rather than yelling at me or forcing me around the castle to do her daily snooping, she settled for laying quietly in my mind and watching me work. I was almost through with the dress—all the ribbons were sewn into place, as were the white jewels. I was currently in the process of adding a few sheer, colored skirts underneath. All it lacked were the gold clasps on the spine of the book and the stone that had sat in the center—easy enough to add on the chest and shoulders, once I found them.

It was in the midst of my sewing that there was a timid knocking at my door. Miinyx flinched at the noise, but obviously deemed it unimportant, because she failed to make any other fully-conscious movement. "Come in!" I cheerily called, continuing with my work.

My door slowly creaked open, and much to my surprise, Dimentio tentatively poked his head in. "Ah, here you are, my dear…" He said softly, coming fully into my room and closing the door behind him. "I hadn't seen your lovely form bouncing through the corridors today, and I began to grow worried."

I shrugged, my eyes refusing to glance up from my work. "I've just been in here." I said curtly.

Dimentio tilted his head as he floated towards the bed where I sat. "Ah, what are you making, darling?" He asked in innocent curiosity.

"Just a dress." I said, still not even flinching. Miinyx didn't seem too keen on moving either—like we had both subconsciously agreed to ignore Dimentio almost entirely.

With a heavy sigh, Dimentio settled himself on my bed, stooping over slightly as he tried to catch my eye. "Mimi, my darling, what's troubling you?"

"Nothing." I snapped lightly, climbing off my bed to stride towards my jewelry box. I tipped it over and shuffled through its contents, looking for the pieces I need. I managed to find a pair of shiny gold bows and some more shiny cloth, but I was still at a loss for the center stone.

Dimentio rose and followed me. "Then why are you ignoring me?" He asked, beginning to sound very troubled by the whole thing.

I leapt back onto my bed, taking the dress in my lap once more and setting about fixing the gold pieces to the sleeves. "I'm not." I insisted, though really, I guess I sort of was.

There was silence for a moment, then Dimentio sat down again—much closer to me than he had the first time. His gloved hand slowly reached out, caught my chin, and ever so gently turned my face towards his. I was, admittedly, surprised at the look in his eyes. I don't think I had ever seen him look at me that way—or anyone, for that matter. "Mimi…" He whispered softly. "…are you upset with me over my actions yesterday?"

I bit my lip a little. "…I dunno…" I mumbled sheepishly. "…maybe…" Yes, actually, I was still incredibly offended that he had hit me, and even more so that he didn't appear to see anything wrong with it. He was obviously very confused at the idea that I would be hurt by such a thing.

He slowly released me, and I immediately turned back to my dress. "…I'm very sorry, Mimi." He whispered, his arms slowly wrapping around me. "I truly did not intend to harm you—I _never _would… I was only upset…" He explained.

I paused. _"Don't listen to him…" _Miinyx said sleepily, almost stifling a yawn. Against my better judgment, I ignored her. "Why were you so angry?" I asked meekly. "…just because I said that to the Count?"

To my surprise, Dimentio slowly nodded his head. "Yes, Mimi… I can't stand the idea of… of you belonging to another…" He wrapped his arms tighter around me, laying his face on top of my head. "I desire for you to be mine, and mine alone, however selfish that may be of me…"

Miinyx snarled, growing sick of the whole exchange, but I couldn't help allowing myself a small smile. "…you were jealous, Dimmy?"

He laughed, sounding relieved at the tone of my voice. "I suppose I was…" he admitted. "I truly did not ever intend to treat you that way, Mimi… and I was perfectly horrid in doing so… I hope you can find it in that beautiful heart of yours to forgive me…"

I frowned slightly, though I did allow my hands to reach up and wrap around his arms. "…promise you won't hit me again?"

"I swear on my life." He said immediately. "May Jaydes take me this instant if I'm lying to you."

I wanted to believe him, wanted to forgive him, but some nagging feeling in my heart forced me to remain silent. I couldn't place what it was—just that there was some part of me that simply couldn't believe him. "What can I do for you, my precious little Mimi?" Dimentio begged earnestly. "Is there any way I can prove my devotion to you."

My eyes went suddenly to the dress lying unfinished before me. "I need a gem." I declared. "Exactly the same kind that's in the middle of the Count's book." I pushed Dimentio's arms off of me, turning around to look in his very confused face. "It has to be _the _most _beautiful _one of its kind—not matter how hard it is to get, or how long you have to look."

Dimentio seemed baffled by my odd request, but he nodded in acceptance nonetheless. "Whatever you wish, my dear. I shall set off to find it for you immediately." And with a snap of his fingers, he was gone.

* * *

It was almost four hours later when I even thought of Dimentio again. This thought occurred when there was a sudden, swift knocking on my door, and I wondered as I threw myself off my bed and scurried over if it could possibly be him.

Opening wide my door, I found only the dark blankness of the concealed hallway that hid my room. I sighed, sadly, almost in longing, until I happened to glance down to the floor. Lying there at my feet, there was a small box, wrapped in pale blue paper and tied off with a bright yellow bow. Curious, I stooped over to pick up the box, glancing around for any sign of whoever could have left it. Finding no one, I retreated back into my bedroom and shut the door behind me.

I scrambled up onto my bed again, nestling myself amidst my mountain of pillows. Once comfortable, I flipped the box over and over in hand, rattled it around next to my ear, and checked over every flat surface three times apiece. There was no indication as to who had left the gift or what was inside it.

Sighing in defeat, I set the box before me, neatly untying the bow and laying the ribbon aside so I could keep it for later. I then gently ripped apart the blue paper piece by piece, only to discover a small brown box—as one could only predict. Neatly flipping off the top of the box, however, I gasped in delight.

The box was filled to the brim with neat folds of cushiony, white satin, like one might find in a jewelry box. Settled neatly and perfectly in the center of the satin blanket, there was a single jewel. It was exactly the same kind that I had seen on the Count's book, only this one was much shinier, much brighter, and a much deeper blue. It was stunning to look at, and I was almost afraid to reach out and pick it up, but I did anyway, cradling the smooth, perfect form of the cold stone in my hands.

I smiled in giddy delight. Dimentio had done it. He had found me the perfect stone to set in my dress. It was the most beautiful one there could have been—how could anything be prettier than this?

"_What's that?" _Miinyx demanded, fidgeting around in my mind again.

"It's a jewel…" I breathed, my smile widening. "Dimentio found it for me."

"_I can see that…" _Miinyx hissed, bristling in irritation. _"What is that note there? In the lid of the box?"_

I looked up, confused, but indeed, there was a small folded piece of paper stuffed in the discarded lid to the box. I reached out, gently taking the delicate parchment in my hands and slowly unfolding it. On the inside, as I had somewhat predicted, the message hidden within was only a few lines written neatly in Dimentio's beautiful penmanship. My eyes trailed over the loops of cursive, and the bewildered look on my face gradually melted to an adoring smile.

_I hope you will not be too terribly upset with me, my dear. I searched high and low over countless dimension for this jewel, but unfortunately, I was only able to bring you the __**second **__most beautiful gem in existence—you, of course, being the first. How could you possibly expect me to find something to match your beauty, my darling? Did you purposely send me on a quest for the impossible? Or are you truly so blissfully unaware of your own breathtaking charm?_

_Either way, I have brought you the jewel I found, as requested. I believe you will have no troubles using it to decorate your dress. Lovely as it is, it cannot possibly compete with your beauty. _

_I hope sincerely that this insignificant gesture is enough to win me your forgiveness._

_-Dimentio, your charming magician_

I could hear Miinyx snarling now, disgusted by the tears of joy running down my face. Golly, he was so sweet. How could I possibly still be mad at him after this? I'm sure Miinyx was just shouting about what a liar he was, and you couldn't believe a word he says, and how could I let myself be tricked like this, and I'm such a stupid, stupid girl.

Truth be told, though, I really didn't care how stupid I was—Dimentio had totally, completely won me over. I threw myself off the bed, rushing to tell him immediately. After about an hour of running frantically through the halls, not even able to hear Miinyx's frantic shouting as I sought out the jester's location, I found him.

He was all alone in a desolate hall, arms folded on the sill of some towering window as he stared mournfully out into the storm outside. I ran at him immediately, tackling him to the ground and hugging the life out of him. Obviously, he was incredibly stunned. "…Mimi?" He said at last. "Wha… what's gotten into you?"

I squeezed him tighter with a squeal of delight. "Apology accepted!" was all I said. "You are the absolute _sweetest _jester I've ever met in my whole entire life!"

Dimentio breathed a heavy sigh of relief, wrapping his own arms around me. "Oh, I'm so very glad to hear you say that, my dear… I'm very, _very _sorry that I ever so much as _thought _to harm you…"

"Don't worry about it." I insisted, snuggling deeper into the embrace. "I totally forgive you."

He laughed lightly as he squeezed me a little tighter. "…thank you _so _much, Mimi… I truly cannot repay you for your incredible kindness."

He flinched suddenly as my forehead slammed into his chest. I shook myself out of the dizziness, and suddenly Dimentio's voice was gone. All I could hear was _"LISTEN to me you ignorant pest! Don't you dare let him play you like this! Stay AWAY from him!"_

I was breathing heavily, reaching up to place a shaking hand on the side of my head. Dimentio released me from the hug, grabbing onto my shoulders and making me look up at him. He was saying something, but I couldn't hear him.

Suddenly, I was very afraid. Miinyx had never done this to me before, and I had no idea what was happening to me. I tried to choke out some sort of response to Dimentio, but even my own voice became inaudible to me. I began to cry, clinging to Dimentio desperately, attempting to beg him for help.

My actions only enraged Miinyx further, and she began to pick off each of my senses one by one. My sense of touch was taken, and I couldn't feel Dimentio anymore. I cried out in agony, only aware that I had done so by the familiar feeling of a sob ripping through my throat. The last I saw was Dimentio lifting me off the ground and carrying me quickly away as I continued to sob, then my sight vanished as well. _Please stop… _I begged Miinyx miserably. _Please, don't do this to me…_

"_Get away for him, and I'll gladly release you…" _Miinyx growled, bristling with fury. _"You play this silly game as long as you like—but I __**won't **__have you becoming so attached to any of them!"_

I only sobbed harder the moment she said it. _NO! Please, nothing's wrong! You said you'd leave me alone!_

Miinyx hissed violently, now truly the only being besides myself I was even remotely aware of. _"…fine. If that's how you want it, __**two **__can play this game, girl. It's going to be __**me **__or __**them**__—I'd advise you to choose __**wisely**__."_


	29. Chapter 28

I honestly had no idea how many countless hours passed without my knowing. For so long, all I was even remotely aware of was Miinyx mumbling to herself and growling irritably. Occasionally, she would give a cry of fury, and I felt the jolt of pain through my body that signified she had taken over and attacked something violently.

I begged her endlessly to allow me my senses back, or to at least tell me what was going on. Miinyx ignored me. Every essence of her being was intently focused on the surrounding world that I was so painfully unaware of. She was fighting hard against something. Judging by her shrieking and constant, random attacking, I assumed she was losing.

At last, she screamed, but remained still. I was sobbing, I could tell that, only because the need to do so was so overwhelming it was impossible for me to have been anything _but _crying hysterically.

Suddenly—so suddenly it physically hurt and made me completely dizzy—Miinyx's voice went silent, and the world slammed into my conscious mind with sickening speed. I was immediately aware that I was lying on my back on something soft, staring straight up at the ceiling. Count Bleck was knelt over me, Dimentio, Nastasia, and O'Chunks' worried faces all gathered around him. "Back up, Count Bleck commanded. Give her some room."

My head continued to spin as I struggled to process what was happening. Count Bleck slowly grabbed my shoulder and pulled me up into a sitting position. "…are you alright, Mimi?"

I nodded slowly, though in all honesty, I didn't feel so alright. "…yeah, I… I think so… what happened?"

Count Bleck shook his head. "We were hoping you could shed some light on the situation, Mimi. What is the last thing you remember?"

I shrugged. "I don't know… I was just talking to Dimentio… then my demon just… started yelling and screaming… and she shut everything off… I couldn't hear, or see, or feel anything… it was all gone—everything but her…"

"You see? I told you!" Dimentio snapped. He seemed genuinely worried about me, fear coating his voice and drowning his eyes. I had never seen him so broken before. "She just started breaking down suddenly—I could hardly understand her!"

Count Bleck nodded slowly. He rose from his place on the bed, pulling Nastasia aside to whisper sharply to her in some distant corner of the room. I didn't have time to be concerned about that—Dimentio's arms were around me immediately, O'Chunks stepping over to gently stroke my pigtails. "Mimi, don't you _ever _scare me like that again!" Dimentio was ranting, effectively squeezing the life out of me. "I was so, so worried about you!"

"Aye, we all were, lass…" O'Chunks agreed, and I smiled softly at the gentle concern I saw in his eyes. "Are yeh sure yer feelin' a'right?"

I nodded my head slowly, clinging to Dimentio's cloak. "…I guess so… I don't really remember anything…"

"You were unconscious for _hours _Mimi!" Dimentio wailed, gripping me tighter. Jeez, whatever his deal was, he needed to get the heck over it already.

O'Chunks cleared his throat. "Well, she wassan' really _unconscious_…" He corrected. "She was puttin' up a real figh'."

"Oh, don't remind me…" The jester moaned, glancing up to the ceiling in grief. "My poor little darling… she had no idea what she was even doing, I'm sure…"

My gaze slowly followed Dimentio's up to the ceiling above us, and I nearly gasped aloud in shock. About eight or ten rubees were stuck in the black wood overhead. I immediately turned and analyzed each of the others. Dimentio's mask and arms were littered in small scratches, I noticed. One of O'Chunks' hands was gently petting my hair, but the other hung by his side, dripping in blood.

Now thoroughly terrified, I pushed Dimentio aside, my eyes flashing frantically over the Count and Nastasia. The secretary seemed to have minimal damage, other than an extremely worried look on her face. Count Bleck appeared cool and commanding as always, despite the blood on his cloak and covering his gloves. It seemed safe to assume that he had been the closest to me during the ordeal.

"Count!" I cried out, catching his attention as I yanked Dimentio back against me. "What's going on? What's wrong with me?"

"We don't know, Mimi." He said sharply, floating back over to kneel next to the bed and take one of my small hands in his. "We're doing our best to take care of you. Do not be afraid—you are not in any danger."

"Can you, uh, hear her, Mimi?" Nastasia gently wondered, stepping over as well. I was getting a little nervous at having everyone so close again, but I was too afraid to tell any of them to leave. "Your demon, I mean."

I thought for a long time. After a moment, I realized in horror that I only had a dull headache now—no feeling of some darker form shifting around in my mind. I couldn't hear or feel Miinyx at all. "…n-no…" I quietly choked out. "Where is she? What happened to her?"

"Nastasia and I were able to put her to sleep." Count Bleck explained, reaching out to stroke the side of my head. Dimentio didn't even seem to notice, he was so wrapped up in hugging the life out of me. "She won't be able to do anything to you—not even speak—until we find a way to rid you of her for good."

I was stunned. It honestly made me confused and dizzy to realize that he was able to say such a thing without a shriek of rage or some vicious attack to signify that Miinyx was now in a very bad mood. Even with four of my closest friends ever surrounding me with love and support, I hadn't felt so hopelessly alone my entire life.

She had terrorized me as long as I could remember, but some part of my was honestly afraid to lose Miinyx. "…do we really have to get rid of her?" I hesitantly squeaked out.

"Of course, Mimi." Dimentio said immediately, pulling back from me with a horrified look on his face. "She nearly took you from us. Can you imagine if we were to wake up some morning and find our precious little Mimi dead—or even behaving as someone she was not?"

I slowly shook my head, feeling on the verge of tears. He was right—there was no way I ever wanted to go through what I just had ever again.

"That, and the way she was behaving, Mimi has every potential to end each of our lives." Count Bleck said solemnly as he rose from his place beside me. "And that demon of hers seems to have every intent of doing just that… am I wrong in that assumption, Mimi?"

Again, I shook my head, looking down in shame and misery. "…no… I… I guess not…"

"I should think not." Dimentio snapped, pulling me deeper into his arms. "Just look at what she's done to poor Mimi trying to get at us already!"

"Calm yourself, Dimentio." Count Bleck commanded coolly. "Mimi is safe now, as are we. Nastasia and I will set to work searching for a way to exorcise demons, and Mimi will be rid of this curse within the week, I assure you."

I gulped, shaking slightly as Nastasia took note of the decision on her clipboard. I only had a week left with this dull throbbing in my skull, and then Miinyx would be out of my life forever.

I really couldn't say what about that idea had me so terrified.

* * *

"Alright, here you are, my little darling… safe and sound once more…" Dimentio sang as he carried me into my room, kicking the door shut behind us. He set me on the ground, giving me a gentle nudge towards my closet. "Go ahead and get changed for bed—you could use the rest."

I scampered off to do just that. As I got ready, some part of my mind began to wonder if I would be able to meet Miinyx in my dreams like I normally did. I couldn't tell if this wondering was in the form of a hope or a fear. "…Dimentio?" I softly asked. "Will you stay in here with me tonight?"

"Of course I will, darling…" Dimentio said gently, scooping me back into his arms the moment I dashed back out of the closet. He snapped his fingers to shut off all of my lights, then settled me in my bed before climbing in beside me. "You needn't be afraid, Mimi… your demon will not bother you anymore."

I trembled slightly when he said that, snuggling closer as he wrapped his arms around me. "…I know…" I laid there in silence for a moment, listening to Dimentio's even breathing, trying to allow his fingers in my hair and his arm around my waist lull me to sleep, but remaining fearfully wide-awake in the sickening silence that filled my mind. It wasn't like the first time Nastasia had hypnotized Miinyx—something was different here. Something wrong. "…Dimentio? …do you know anything about demons?"

Dimentio gave a muffled laugh, holding me a bit tighter. "Not much, I'm afraid… I know they are vicious creatures—not ones to be trifled with… they live solely for the destruction of others…"

I frowned, curling up tighter. "…do they really? …they don't do _anything _but hurt everybody else?"

"Not that I am aware of…" Dimentio replied softly. "Perhaps they very well may—they're not a species I would enjoy studying… I'm afraid that's all I know of them…"

I nodded slowly. My skull found that warm spot right in the core of his chest again, and I immediately felt safe and secure. "…okay… maybe its… its better she'll be gone…" I said slowly.

"Oh, certainly far better, I assure you…" Dimentio said with a pleased sigh. "I can't imagine how much better off you'll be…"

I sighed in return. At least I was starting to relax a little. "…I guess so…"

* * *

That night, I did dream of my subconscious. It was blank, and white, and terrifying, and completely empty, just as it always was. However, there was no sinister whisper or chilling presence to greet me this time. I searched frantically all around the expanse of nothingness, scrambling for any sign of Miinyx, calling out her name, begging her to show me some sign that she was still there.

Just when I thought it was hopeless, I spotted a small form off in the distance. I sprinted towards it, and the black blob turned out to confirm my hopes and fears all at the same time—it was Miinyx. She was lying motionless on the ground, her back to me, not so much as flinching as I approached her.

I called out her name as loud as I could, and still, Miinyx made no sign of hearing me. Reaching her motionless form at last, I collapsed to my knees beside her, grabbed her shoulder, and roughly tried to shake her awake. Miinyx's shadowy form yielded far too easily to my direction, but she didn't stir.

Terrified, I ran around to face her front, reeling in shock and gasping in horror as I did so. Miinyx's eyes were peacefully closed, her mouth hanging only slightly slack. Her hair laid in thick piles all around her face, her arms and tail sprawled out beside her. She didn't look at all like she had curled up for a rest like she normally did. It looked like she had fallen, or been knocked down, and simply did not possess the ability to get up.

"Miinyx…" I begged, taking one of her clawed, icy hands in mine. "…c'mon, Miinyx, please wake up…"

She didn't move or respond to me in any way.

"…I'm snuggling with Dimmy again…" I tried to agitate her. "…isn't that gross? Don't you want to stop me?"

If she could hear me, she was doing an amazing job of ignoring me.

"…I'm letting the Count and Nassy get rid of you… kick you out of my head for good…" I whispered, tears forming in my eyes. "I'm a stupid girl, aren't I? How do you put up with me, Miinyx? Don't you… don't you just wanna hit me or something? …anything?"

Even the hand I held only continued to fall limply across my lap. She looked like a rag doll—carelessly tossed aside and forgotten in the corner of some dusty attic.

I sniffled, trying to choke back my tears for reasons I was entirely unsure of. "…Miinyx… what's gonna… happen to you?" I choked out, stooping over to lay down beside her. "…you said you… need me… you can't live here… what's gonna happen? Where will you go?"

Miinyx said nothing at all.

It was more than enough for an answer.

I broke down sobbing, curling up beside her and wrapping my arms around her waist. She was just as icy cold as she always was, but she didn't yet have the sickening chill of death. She wasn't gone, but I knew she didn't have much longer.


	30. Chapter 29

_The frightening demon held true to her word—before the week was out, I did indeed possess an entirely new form. Over the course of no more and possibly less than three days, my insides, my outsides, and my everything changed completely._

_I had awoken one morning in a foreign building, lying in a bed I had no use for. I had dashed madly through the house in blind panic, eventually coming upon a woman who called me 'sweetheart', and herself 'mama'. I had attacked her for reasons I did not understand, hearing a dark laugh at the back of my mind. It was an awful sight to see, but the unknown woman had worried me to some degree, and some part of me was glad to be rid of her. _

_I killed many others who I did not know that day. I ran somewhere far away from that unfamiliar town, falling exhausted in the distant woods. I was afraid—with no idea as to what I was doing and what was happening around me._

"_**Calm yourself, girl…" **__A voice hissed in my mind, and suddenly, I remembered her to be the demon. __**"You're doing spectacular—just keep listening to me."**_

"_What's happening to me?" I desperately cried, unable to fight back the relentless flow of tears. "Where am I? What's happening?"_

_The demon gave a short laugh with no humor to it. __**"Never you mind—it isn't important for you to know… I had to clear out some space so there would be room enough in your mind for us both without cracking your fragile little skull… I just dumped out some of those useless memories of yours."**_

"_My… my memories?" I hoarsely repeated. She was still doing it. I could feel even the past few hours gradually slipping from me. "Why?"_

"_**Oh, it isn't as if you will be needing them any longer…" **__The demon assured with a haunting cackle. __**"Besides, we have some experimentation to do—just hold still and relax now and we'll get right back to work."**_

_I fought for a split second, but was quickly reduced to a screaming, sobbing heap on the ground as an unbearable jolt of pain wracked my whole body. The world around me grew hazy and dim, and my neck twisted in ways I could tell it was simply not meant to bend. My entire form pulled and popped and cracked and broke and rearranged itself entirely at the demon's will._

_At last, the pain seemed to pause—at least calming to a dull throb all over. When I awoke, I was back inside the blankness of my mind that I had dreamed myself into some nights ago. The demon stood over me, grinning madly and wickedly. __**"Perfect…" **__She hissed, turning to glide away from me. My memories continued to slip from me as she prowled about, and eventually there was nothing but an echoing emptiness ringing in my head. __**"Everything is going exceptionally well—your body is more than capable of projecting the image of my monster! You are a shape-shifter now, my girl!"**_

_I trembled slightly at her words. I had no idea what I was now, or what I had previously been, or even for that matter what in the world a shape-shifter was. This demon was beginning to scare me more and more, and I could do nothing but sit here at her mercy because I was so incapable of doing otherwise. _

_The demon did not appear to notice my distress and fear—if she did, it was only one more thing she took such great delight in. __**"Now—let's continue our work, girl. I want to see what exactly my monster is capable of in this pathetic world of yours."**_

_The remainder of that day was nothing but an endless blur of screams, chaos, blood, and death. It was horrible to watch, but I could do nothing but gape in horror as I watched the demon destroy towns full of people and dimly wonder who they were and why this demon had deemed them worthy of such a cruel death. Once, I may have asked her, but if she heard me, she did little more than laugh louder. _


	31. Chapter 30

I slept until mid-afternoon the next day, and laid there in bed as Dimentio slept beside me. The silence was almost painful. In moments like this, I would usually be able to hear Miinyx snoring softly in the back of my mind—breathing slowly and deep at the very least, and maybe occasionally mumbling in her sleep.

Some part of me was already aching and panicking at the knowledge that she would probably never wake up again. Another part of me was just waiting for her to yawn loudly, shift around in my mind, and groggily demand _"What are you always doing up so early, you stupid girl?" _

Nothing ever seemed to happen, though, and a short while later Dimentio awoke and snapped my mind abruptly back to reality. He had wrapped his arms tighter around me than they already were, greeting me with kind words and soft whispers. It helped, but it certainly didn't heal.

At the same moment, Dimentio and I snapped to dizzying alertness within an instant. The minions had been summoned. We jumped up and readied ourselves, then Dimentio snapped his fingers and we were standing in the gathering hall. I stood and adjusted my lovely pink gown for a moment, then paused as I noticed Dimentio leaning around me with a rather intrigued look on his face.

Puzzled, I turned to glance behind me—and found a new pedestal floating between mine and the Count's. On this pedestal, there sat a tall, lean man, dressed head-to-toe in black, save for a flash of bright green on top of his head and tied around his neck. He turned around to glance over his shoulder, and he flashed me a very devious smirk, narrowing his silver, masked-framed eyes at me. "'Sup, squirt?" He said.

I blinked. Could he possibly be referring to _me? _No one had _ever _called me something like 'squirt' before. Golly, if Miinyx could have heard him say that—

…Oh. Right.

"Hey, guys?" Nastasia's crisp voice interrupted my thoughts as she and the Count appeared on their own pedestals. "Huddle up, 'k? We're just going to have a quick new minion orientation…" Adjusting her glasses briefly, Nastasia gestured towards the strange man as he pushed himself off the ground and brushed some imaginary dust from his pants. "His name is Mr. L. He's joining us from one of our key competitors."

Mr. L turned then to flash his eyes over me, Dimentio, and O'Chunks. He laughed. "Can't say I'm too impressed with the minion quality… No wonder these heroes keep beating us! You guys are more like _junior _minions!"

"Junior, yeh say?" O'Chunks roared, slamming his foot on the ground. "Why don't yeh come 'ere an' say tha', an' I'll introduce yeh to Fist Junior and 'is wee pal, Slappy!" The warrior cried, raising his two great, meaty fists. I rolled my eyes. I thought I heard Dimentio let a snicker or two slip.

"So, if we're such _juniors _and you're just _soooo _great…" I mocked, crossing my arms across my chest. "I guess you beat the heroes, didja?"

Mr. L faltered slightly. "Er… well…"

"Ha!" I cried, stomping my own foot and jabbing a finger in his direction. "I knew it! You've been getting just as spanked as we have! So, maybe _you're _the junior, huh, Mr. L?"

"Spanked, you say?" Mr. L repeated, grinning widely and laughing madly. "Oh, no, no! I was simply _scouting _these pests—next time, they _will _be mine! They'll all know the true fury of Mr. L! _The Green Thunder shall strike like lightning!_"

I'm pretty sure at this point, three pairs of eyes were giving him some pretty strange looks. I could almost _feel_ the pain Dimentio was in as he struggled to keep himself from bursting out laughing. "The Green Thunder" didn't seem to notice—he spun on his heels to face the Count once more. "But, enough about me…" he said, in a modestly smug sort of way. "If that'll be all, my Count, I gotta head back to the repair bay for some Brobot modifications."

The Count nodded silently, and with that, Mr. L leapt down into the corridors below and quickly left the room. Silence hung in the air for a moment. I'm sure all the other minions were waiting for Count Bleck and Nastasia to clear out so we could get out our respective screaming, laughing, and mocking. However, neither one moved—and after a moment, the Count actually spoke. "_'Though the man in red shall wield formidable powers, one shall stand against him. The man in green shall use the Chaos Heart's power to bring darkness to all.' _Bleh heh heh heh… so it is written in the Dark Prognosticus."

"Ah, my dearest Count…" Dimentio finally spoke up, looking extremely curious. "…did I hear that correctly? Are you saying that this 'man in green' is our own minion-in-training, Mr. L?"

"Whut?" O'Chunks cried. "Tha' makes abou' as much sense as a beef-'n-broccoli sammach!"

"Calm yourself, O'Chunks." The Count commanded sharply, holding up a hand for silence. "Make ready—Count Bleck is sending you on a new mission."

O'Chunks grinned his usual goofy, tooth-filled grin. "Ah, now _tha' _makes sense! It'll be me honor, Count! I swear to yeh—this 'ero's got a hot date with me feet! Chunks away!" That nonsense being spouted, O'Chunks, too, leapt from his pedestal and left the room.

Dimentio watched the warrior disappear with a smile. "My, my, aren't _we _hot-blooded?" The jester turned back to his master, bowing pleasantly before him. "Now, if you will all excuse me, I have to be on my way as well… Ciao!"

I watched him disappear in his usual distortion of the air, and abruptly realized that all the minions had left me all at once. I stomped on the ground with a shriek of fury. "So, poor little Mimi doesn't get to be in on the fun, huh? This _stinks!_" I spun on my heels and suddenly found myself in some random corridor, and immediately set right to work furiously storming the halls and granting any living being that dared to cross my path the misfortunate fate of being impaled on a rubee.

And nearly an hour later, I came upon a room I was almost—no, _entirely _certain had not existed in the castle before now. And yet, there it stood, plain as day—so what was I to do but curiously creep inside and investigate?

It didn't look _so _different from most other rooms in the castle. It was entirely black, with maybe a flash of white every now and again. The only windows were very small and very high up on the towering walls. The thing that set the room most apart from the others, though, was that the walls, the floor, the shelves, literally _everything _inside it was covered in robot parts.

They made me think briefly of Miinyx, and I wondered for a moment if she would find them interesting.

"Hey!" A sharp voice snapped me out of my thoughts, and I turned towards it to find Mr. L. He was perched on the cap of some giant robot head, glaring angrily down at me. "What do you think you're doing in here?"

"I'm sorry!" I called back, though I really wasn't. "Your stuff looks really cool, and I wanted to come take a look! Did you make this?"

Mr. L scoffed, rolling his eyes. "Did I make this…" He mumbled under his breath. "Yeah, all by myself!" He called louder as he clambered down the machine before taking a final leap and landing nimbly before me. "His name's Brobot—my robotic brother. He and I share a special bond, you know."

I tilted my head to the side. "He's your brother?" I repeated. Mr. L smiled, glancing fondly over the mechanical beast. I decided I probably had stranger stories to tell, so I smiled and said "That's very nice. Is he okay? He looks sorta beat up."

"Pffft…" Mr. L rolled his eyes as he blew the bangs out of his face. "Yeah, he'll be fine—just gonna need one hell of a make-over. Those stupid heroes went and busted him up…"

"Yeah, they're really bullies…" I agreed. "They beat me up too—Mario and the Princess, anyway."

Mr. L paused suddenly, narrowing his eyes like he was trying to remember something. "…Mario?" He repeated. I nodded, then after a moment, he snapped his fingers and smiled. "Oh! Mr. Jumps-around-all-the-time! I gotcha!"

"Uh, right, I guess…" I agreed, stepping over to watch as he picked up some busted parts that were lying around. "So… Mr. L, right? Where did you come from?"

He scoffed at me again. "Hell if I know." was all he replied. "Nasty just found me and brought me here."

I blinked at the familiar nickname. "…did you talk to Dimentio already?"

"Dimentio?" Mr. L repeated, turning to tilt his head at me. "Who's that?"

I smiled, then with a poof of smoke, I became the very jester himself. "He looks like this." I said, fighting back a laugh when the oh-so-incredible Mr. L jumped three feet in the air and dropped everything he was holding.

"Holy _shit!_" He cried, slowly recovering as I turned back into myself. "Warn a guy, will ya? How'd you do that?"

"I'm a shape-shifter!" I chirped happily, pleased that I had impressed him. "Wanna see my monster?"

Mr. L blinked, eyeing me rather nervously. "…eh… maybe some other time."

I pouted, but didn't argue, allowing Mr. L to shake off the event and slowly return to his work. "Say, uh… what was your name again?" He shakily asked me, though he didn't turn around again.

I smiled brightly, batting my long eyelashes at him. "I didn't say." I reminded him innocently.

"…right." He agreed after a moment. "But, what was it?"

"I'm Mimi." I chirped in reply.

"Mimi, huh?" He turned then, flashing his silver eyes over my body. "…you're pretty tiny. Wanna gimme a hand here? There's a place in Brobot's control panels I can't quite reach." I smiled eagerly, nodding my head and bouncing happily after him as he showed me over to the great robot. I had never even seen a robot before (other than my monster form, of course). And now, here I was helping Mr. L to build this awesome one.

Some part of me wondered if Miinyx would be proud.

* * *

"Mimi?" The Count's voice called as he slowly floated into my room. "You called for Count Bleck?"

I nodded, sitting straight up in my bed and patting the blankets beside me. "Have a seat, County." I said, in my most serious-business-voice, like Nastasia often had. The Count seemed confused, but closed the door behind him and floated almost cautiously over to take a seat beside me. "Is something wrong?"

"I can't sleep." I declared abruptly. "I've been having weird dreams, and I wake up, like, a hundred times every night, and sometimes I just can't sleep at all."

Count Bleck seemed troubled by this. He frowned softly, reaching out to gently stroke my pigtails. "I'm very sorry to hear that, Mimi… What would you like Count Bleck to do for you?"

"You never finished the story." I said. He stared at me a moment, as if he believed me to be as crazy as Dimentio, so I continued. "About Blumiere and Timpani. You never told me what happened."

He smiled lightly then, and my heart never failed to flutter at the sight. "Ah, of course… I apologize… where did our tale leave off?"

I had to think for a moment. For a very long time, actually—it _had _been a while since I had last heard a bedtime story. "…Blumiere snuck out to see her… and they were talking outside and stuff."

Count Bleck sighed deeply, then nodded his head. "Yes, that sounds right… Well… the two continued to visit each other time and time again, meeting in secret just on the human side of the border—for if they were caught, the humans would be _far _more forgiving than the Tribe of Darkness… but, after several weeks of meeting in secret, Timpani suddenly ceased appearing. Nearly five eves had gone by—each time Blumiere came in hopes of meeting this strange human, and each time she was nowhere to be found."

"What happened to her?" I demanded immediately, my eyes going wide. "Was she okay?"

"Oh, yes, Timpani was in perfect health when Blumiere found her at last. He tricked her, and appeared on the border earlier than the time they would usually meet, and there he found her gathering the flowers of the valley. He caught her before she had noticed him, and demanded of her _'Timpani, why? Why do you avoid me?'_

"'_Ow!' _Timpani cried. She turned away from Blumiere as she fought to free herself from his grasp. _'Unhand me, Blumiere!' _she demanded.

"Blumiere did pause and release her at last. His voice was hoarse as he realized _'You're… you're crying… Why?' _But, Timpani refused to speak to Blumiere, shaking her head and turning from him. _'Timpani, you must tell me! What has happened!' _He desperately cried."

Count Bleck paused in his story to give me a small glance, as if to ensure that I was on the edge of my seat. I was, of course, so he gladly continued. "_'It's nothing.' _Timpani snapped. _'Don't worry about it… just forget it…'_

"Blumiere paused suddenly, looking stunned. _'Oh, no…' _he moaned in despair. _'Timpani, is my father behind this?'"_

"Why would Blumiere's dad wanna hurt her?" I interrupted again.

"Well, you see, Mimi…" Count Bleck explained to me gently, giving me a very sad look. "Blumiere's father was of very high power and significant influence in the Tribe of Darkness—one of the more dark and evil races known to the dimensions. He was disgusted by humans, and if he believed his son to be secretly visiting one… I believe it is safe to assume that he would _not _be very forgiving…"

I nodded slowly in understanding, allowing the Count to continue. "At Blumiere's assumption, Timpani began to cry again. _'I'm… I'm just an ordinary girl…' _She sobbed. _'No matter how much I love you, we must part…'_"

"She loved him?" I cried immediately. "Timpani was in _love _with him?"

Count Bleck nodded slowly. "Indeed, she was—and Blumiere had realized that he loved her as well. _'Timpani… I…' _he tried to say, but was cut off by Timpani's firm, heartbroken voice. _'This is good-bye Blumiere. There's no other choice. This is our fate…'_ And with those words hardly past her lips, she turned, and she left him."

"No!" I shrieked, slamming my fists on the bed. "Count, what kind of a story is that?"

He laughed lightly, petting my hair again. "Calm yourself, Mimi—our tale is not yet finished. For quite some time, Timpani held to her word, and she never saw Blumiere. He faithfully returned day after day, but eventually, he began to lose heart, so he gave up visiting the strange girl and took to sulking about his home and thinking deeply to himself.

"It was amidst these moments of solitary thinking—nearly a month and one half from the day Timpani left him—that Blumiere was struck with a fantastically insane idea. It was all but impossible, and he was sure that they could never pull it over, but he tried it anyway.

"So, that very evening, late into the deepest dark of the night, Blumiere journeyed down into the human's kingdom and sought out Timpani's home, where she lived alone among the plants and bugs and things that she occupied her time with. She was surprised to see him, but terrified that the guards in her village would catch Blumiere, Timpani welcomed him into her home, and there he told her of his plan.

"As expected, Timpani did not accept it in the slightest. _'What… what are you thinking?' _She demanded as she gaped at him. _'There's no possible way… no one would allow it!'_

"'_If we can't be happy here, then we must leave for a place that will accept our love.' _Blumiere insisted to her desperately.

"Timpani shook her head, placing a delicate hand over her lips—as she often did when she found herself vexed. _'But… Blumiere… Does such a place even exist?' _She couldn't help but wonder. _'Think… I can't bear to see you hurt again…'_

"Blumiere was not discouraged, though—if anything, he was given a new hope in knowing that she still cared as deeply for him as he did for her. _'If our love has no home… then let us spend our entire lives searching together!' _Timpani turned from him immediately, her face hidden in her hands in distress. _'I beg of you again… Timpani, marry me! I promise I will make you happy…'_"

I squealed in delight the moment he said it. "That's so romantic!" I gushed.

The Count nodded in agreement, smiling happily. "Timpani was silent for some time before she spoke again, and even then, she said only _'You… just won't give up, will you? Of all the crazy… stubborn… __**foolish **__men…' _

"Blumiere took his love into his arms, and begged her again, _'Timpani… answer me, please.'_

"'…_I love you, Blumiere.' _Timpani said at last, embracing him as well. _'Take me away. Take me to a world where we can be happy.'_"

"Aww, Count! That's the sweetest thing ever!" I moaned in delight, smiling widely.

"Yes, it is…" Count Bleck replied, standing up to come tuck me into bed. "And now, it is well-past your bed time, Mimi… do you believe you will be able to rest easily now?"

I nodded happily, snuggling into my covers. "Goodnight, County." He smiled, bid me sweet dreams, and turned to leave, flicking off my lights and plunging my room into darkness just before shutting the door behind him.

"…Goodnight, Miinyx…" I whispered into the silent darkness.

I wondered if she could hear me.


	32. Mimi's Diary Entry 5

_Dear Diary,_

_I feel like nothing goes on anymore. I totally don't even have anything to talk about, I'm just bored._

_Dimentio left again a few days ago. He keeps slipping off to Grambi knows where. I don't know where he's gone. O'Chunks isn't back yet from his mission the Count sent him on. I haven't been able to talk to the Count much. He's usually too busy. I think I tried to follow Nassy around a few times, but then she started asking about Miinyx and… maybe she kinda __**is **__still there, 'cause suddenly, I didn't feel so much like hanging out with her anymore._

_So, I'm mostly just doing stuff by myself and hanging out with Mr. L now. He's a pretty cool guy—but he gets really annoyed if I'm all loud and in his way and stuff. I've totally got him figured out, though. I just have to keep mostly quiet (except when I'm curious about his robots. He LOVES that) and stay out of his way. I learned the names of some of his tools, and sometimes he lets me go run and get them out of his toolbox for him. If there's a spot in Brobot he can't reach, he lets me crawl inside and pull the wires out for him so he doesn't have to take something all the way apart._

…_there are bugs in my closet, diary. That's the most interesting thing that's happening. And they're not interesting—just annoying! Stupid doofus-head bugs, eating all my dresses…_

_Other than helping Mr. L and worrying about the bugs, I don't have much to do besides sit around and think. I usually think about Miinyx. I hope she's okay._

_Count and Nassy said she'd be gone by the end of the week, but… it's been like, ten days. I dream some nights, and she's still there. _

_I really hope she'll wake up._

…_I know it's crazy… 'cause she's totally asleep… she can't even move… I'd know if she could even think… and she can't do __**anything**__… but these past few nights, when its really quiet… I could swear I hear her say my name…_

_~Mimi_


	33. Chapter 32

_I'm so sorry for the delay everyone! I just graduated high school, so things have been SUPER busy for me. Now that it's summer, maybe I'll be able to keep up with updates a little better. ^^_

_Anyway, thank you all so much for your patience! Enjoy the chapter!_

_(And for future reference-don't let me do this to you guys again. I really didn't realize how long it had been. If you guys are waiting for an update, feel free to complain. Sometimes I need a push to get something done)  
_

* * *

Wow, were things ever super boring around here. The only thing that was good about any of this was that Mr. L and I had been unified by our boredom.

Our boredom, and we were a little mad. I mean, really, who up and decided O'Chunks and Dimentio got to run off and have all the fun without us? And we just had to hang around the castle and do nothing? Well, yeah, it was the Count that decided it, and I guess he sort of is in charge, but still, it's super annoying.

I think this is the third time the two of us had totally built, taken apart, and rebuilt Brobot's new "rocket launchers" or whatever. I don't think they look much different, but Mr. L insists that they're never the same. He seems to know way more about this than I do, so I try to just be quiet and stay out of his way. I'm usually not the most helpful person in the world with this stuff, and he's sort of a meanie, but I think he's secretly glad for the company.

He'd never admit it, though. I bet Dimentio would like him if they ever spoke to each other.

"Oi, short stuff. Wanna give me a hand here?"

I jumped up immediately, jogging over to where he stood before the heel of the robot's left shoe, its rocket-covered base pointed towards us. "What's up?" I chirped.

Mr. L reached out and tapped his wrench on one of the gaping holes that shot out fire for flying around and stuff. "I need you to climb in there and wire this up for me. Can you do that?"

My face about split in two I was smiling so big. "You want _me _to wire it? Do you think I can?"

He laughed, and flashed me that smug little smirk of his. "Don't worry, I'll walk ya through it." He said with a wink. "Hop in and we'll get started."

Okay, forget what I said about boring. Robots could be pretty exciting.

Luckily, I'd done my research on mechanics and stuff, and had made myself one of the weird outfits they wore—mine was a pretty steel gray with blue trim running down the sides. Mr. L had helped me modify it by tying the sleeves around my waist so you could see the shirt under it. It was pretty cute, but I didn't necessarily mind getting it covered in oil. In my dresses, I wouldn't come near his bots.

Already being fully dressed-out in my uniform, I allowed Mr. L to give me a boost and happily scrambled to the interior of the chamber. I fit no problem, but I was squished down and crawling on my hands and knees, so I guess it would be hard for Mr. L to get to these wires without taking the whole thing apart. "Alright, head to the back of the thruster—there should be a hatch near the back where you can see the cables."

I crawled back there and found it quickly enough. Wow, everything looked really complicated in here. I grimaced. "Mr. L, are you sure I can do this? I don't wanna break your robot."

"Ah, he's tough—he'll be alright. Here—" With an echoing clang, a large cable landed inside the metal tunnel with me. It looked shinier and newer than the ones already in the box. "Look for the big silver cable—should be running right down the middle."

I found it—but it sure wasn't silver anymore. It was scarred and beaten and frayed at the ends and had totally come unhinged from wherever the others were plugged in at the top. It was still pretty stuck in the bottom of the box though. I guess cables had to run both ways. Like bridges or something, right? "I've got it! Do you want me to take it out?"

"Yeah, you'll need to replace it with the new one—that one got fried when he shorted out." His voice came echoing to me through the sheets of black-charred metal.

"Is that why he exploded?" I called back as I yanked on the cable. I had to prop my feet on the wall to get it out—it was sort of hard to move much in here.

I think I heard Mr. L kick something. "No, I think the explosion did it to 'im. He wasn't built to handle it at the time."

Once the cable finally popped out (causing me to tumble backwards with the heavy thing on top of me) I surveyed each end of it. No wonder it was so hard to get out, one end was charred black and almost melted shut. The other had blown clean off. "So, it was like a power surge? Too much electricity?"

"Yeah, must've been that crazy stuff they were shootin' at him. I thought it was just magic—there must have been electric properties to it. Good call, Mimi." I was a little taken aback at the compliment—it was very unlike him to do something like that. I guess it was a first for me. I knew what different things were sometimes, and what tools I was supposed to get when he said a certain name, but I usually didn't know much about electricity and wires and switches and how everything all hooked up together to make Brobot stand up and fly around.

Come to think of it, I'm not sure where that came from at all.

"Doin' alright, kid?" Mr. L called after a few beats of silence.

I snapped to attention and set to plugging the new cable into the socket. "Yeah, I'm alright! I just…" Oh no. Oh, that wasn't good. "…uh, I think something's wrong with where I plug it in!"

"What do you mean? What's it look like?"

A trip to the Underwhere and back, that's what. It was in about the same if not worse condition than the cable it used to hold onto—all black and charred and almost melted shut, except for the messy spot of mangled metal where I had ripped the cable right out of it (guess I'm a lot stronger than I thought). "Uh, it's sort of messed up. I don't know if I can plug this thing in!"

He started grumbling to himself. "Alright, don't move—just give me a minute. Maybe we can replace it."

I'm not very good at following instructions, I've noticed recently.

I kept picking and prying at the stupid thing, trying to make some sense of it. It was too messed up to get such a nice, straight wire in there. But… that melted wire sure didn't have a hard time getting in there.

I was ripping things apart before I could stop myself. With the metal plating torn off the socket, the old cable tip slid right back into place. I conjured up a rubee and used it to cut off the old cable's body, then did the same to the new one. If I could get these new wires up in that old plug—

No, wait a minute, I _could _do that. It was just a matter of getting this shiny casing off the end of it. Now if I did the same to the plug's cables, I could wrap them all up together—because metal just needs to touch and electricity can flow, right? Right. Then if I just—

"Hey, Mr. L? How do you keep wires together?" I called outside, scrambling to the end of the tunnel.

He was looking through heaps of scrap parts that we had collected from older designs and from wandering around dimensions. He let me keep some of the small gears and springs for roboty dresses. "Uh, electrical tape usually works."

"Do you have any?" I pressed. He flung it over his shoulder without a second thought. I smiled as I caught it and scrambled back inside. Good thing he's so easily distracted. I ripped off a long trail of the thin black stuff, wrapping it around my mesh of wires. Satisfied in my work, I plugged the clean end of the cable into the upper socket, shoved all the cables back in the box, closed the hatch and hopped out. "Hey, I think I got it!"

"Yeah, that's cute. I'm busy, okay?" He snapped idly.

I narrowed my eyes and stomped my foot. "No, I seriously think I did it! I fixed the cable for you! Will you just try it?"

"Dammit, Mimi—" He broke off in a growl as he stormed over to the testing circuit board that the feet were hooked up to. He turned up a few knobs and flipped a few switches as he kept ranting. "I'm in a hurry—we don't know when the Count's gonna send me out again, but I gotta be ready! I don't have time for you to keep playing around!"

Good Grambi, I wish I had a picture of the look on his face. The rockets worked again! I totally fixed them—all by myself!

"What?" Mr. L gasped out. "How did—what—what did you _do? _How'd _you _do that?"

All the excitement and happiness totally washed right out of my face.

How _did _I do that?

* * *

It was totally silent in my room. Almost pitch black, too—I'd even turned my night lights off and pulled the curtains over my window, scary as it was. I made sure I was all alone and would be for a long time. Nobody ever came into this end of the castle.

"…can you hear me?"

Soft, gentle, quiet, controlled. My voice was hardly a whisper as I breathed the words out in a careful sigh.

"I know you're still there."

Everything had to be just so—calm and still, the picture of safety. Something easy to come back to after being locked away for a very long time.

"It's okay."

I fought to be very reassuring. I tried to stay still and keep my excitement down. I couldn't get my hopes up or I'd wind up getting them crushed. She always told me that when I was little.

"You're safe, Miinyx."

She had to still be there. She had to be getting better. There had to be a reason why I was suddenly spitting out so much about robots, and I could suddenly put Brobot's cables back together, and I was suddenly a lot stronger than I used to be. She had to be doing this.

"Where are you?"

I waited for what seemed like and probably was endless hours there in the dark silence.

I would not let my hopes get too high up.

But, it was sure getting hard to keep them down.

Then again, sometimes, I don't think Miinyx knows what she's talking about.

"…_Mimi?"_

A little hope never hurt anybody.

* * *

It had been about two days since Miinyx woke up when she started getting back to normal. Or, back to able-to-calm-down-and-talk, anyway. She wasn't screaming and yelling at me, she didn't attack anybody, and she was too weak and frightened and scatterbrained to be normal. Normal for her, anyway, but she's Miinyx. I wouldn't want her any other kind of normal.

We stayed locked up in my room with a good stash of snacks and drinks for that time so she could get back on her feet. I ate lots of healthy stuff (even though it was sort of icky) and got lots of rest (even though I had, like, _way _better stuff to do). While I was awake, I sat and calmly worked on making lots of dresses and focused very hard on not making a lot of noise or thinking too much.

My head hurt really bad, like it was about to split in two, but I tried not to say anything. I figured it was just because Miinyx was so damaged, and she needed time to get herself back together.

She was a little weird for a while there. Sometimes she would be quietly mumbling and hardly doing anything, and others she would yell and freak out and start going crazy on me. I was really glad when she stopped doing that.

Eventually, everything seemed to settle down.

"…_Mimi."_

I took a deep breath. I had to stay calm, and it was hard not to get excited. She didn't speak directly to me much lately. "Yes, Miinyx?"

"_I, ah… th… thank you." _She managed to say at last. Her voice was very dim and soft in my mind, like she was whispering from somewhere very far away.

A smile flashed across my face. If my memories were right, Miinyx had never thanked me for a single thing in her life. I can't remember her ever doing much besides hating and torturing me. "That's okay." I assured her.

She made some sort of troubled noise. _"No, child… you… how did you preserve me?"_

I shrugged. "I just tried to make sure nobody knew you were here."

"…_you were… aware?" _Miinyx rasped out. I could tell from the throbbing of my head she was still a little out of it.

"Well, sort of." I said, laying down the dress I was working on. It was getting hard to multitask. "I mean, I saw you lying there… when I dreamed and I was in my own head… but I couldn't hear you, and my head didn't hurt anymore."

Suddenly, all my headache was squishing back into one little corner of my mind. _"Poor girl…" _she breathed. She sounded sort of strained and tired now. _"…you should not need to suffer… for paying a kindness to another…"_

I smiled gently. "No, Miinyx, it's alright, I don't mind. Don't work yourself too hard, okay? You just focus on getting better. I'll take good care of us."

The headache expanded ever so slightly. _"…are you… certain?"_

"Positive. You just relax." I said brightly, my voice full of reassurance.

She breathed out a sigh of relief, and the throbbing ache filled my skull once more. _"Thank you, again, Mimi. I am…" _Miinyx paused suddenly, and I could tell it was a real effort for her to speak. Maybe because she was tired, or maybe because of what she said. I'm not entirely sure. _"…I am truly… in your debt…"_

"No, you aren't. I don't want to live without you any more than you _can _live without me." I declared with a small smile. She seemed pleased at the comment, but must have decided to save her energy, because she didn't say anything else in reply. "…Miinyx? Can I ask you something?"

There was a pause. _"…ah… I suppose." _She sounded wary and nervous again, not rude and irritated. I almost wished she had told me to shut up and let her sleep.

Almost. "What exactly happened to you? What'd they do that made you sleep that long?"

I felt a jolt of pain crash through my head, like someone had hammered a hot nail right through it. Miinyx was squirming around in pain, and a shudder rippled down my spine that I highly suspected to be her fault. _"…I never slept, child… the chill of death was upon me—that precious Count of yours nearly ended my game with his dark magic."_

I paused. No, pause was a very loose word for what I did. Every function I was capable of came to a screeching halt as I reeled in shock and confusion. Everything I'd ever understood to be indisputable truth was currently at war with each other, throwing my mind into total chaos, with Miinyx wide awake and skull-splittingly conscious right in the middle of it. It was a pretty painful ordeal, but my brain just didn't have room to register the fact that all this mess was even uncomfortable.

"…they tried to kill you?" was what I managed to choke out after quite some time.

"_And nearly succeeded." _Miinyx confirmed. I could feel her attempting to shuffle through my most recent memories. It felt like it was a lot of effort for her. _"Have they mentioned anything about me?"_

I swallowed hard. "…yeah… I-I think they did. County's trying to get rid of you for good."

"…_as I suspected…" _Miinyx said in sort of a heavy sigh. She didn't sound angry at me like she usually did when we talked about the Count. Not even smug that she was right and I was wrong because I'm such a stupid, foolish little girl. She just sounded sad. And sort of hopeless. I didn't like it.

"Miinyx, don't worry." I feebly insisted. "I can keep you safe. I won't let the Count and Nastasia know you're back—maybe they'll leave you alone."

I felt her shifting around in my mind. I could tell she was getting a little uneasy. _"They will not stop—not until they are certain I am vanquished for good."_

I frowned. "…We'll think of something, okay? I won't just give up and lose you like this. You're, like, the best friend I've ever had, Miinyx."

There was stillness and silence in the room for a very long time.

Finally, Miinyx spoke. _"…do you… truly mean that, child?"_

"…yeah, of course. I don't know what I'd do without you." I assured her, somehow managing a faint smile.

She sighed again, and this one sounded a lot more like her usual i-can't-believe-I-put-up-with-this-moron. It felt good to hear it again. _"I am trying to be civil at present… but in all honesty, __**that **__is truly pathetic."_

I let a short laugh slip out as I returned my thoughts to my dress. "Yeah. I guess it is." I softly agreed.

Pathetic or not, I was beyond relieved to have her back. I would have to think of a plan quick so that the Count and Nastasia wouldn't try to take her away from me again. But, I suppose that could wait. For now, Miinyx sounded like she really needed some more sleep.


End file.
